aN 4 a FM BSN SE sunters, it builds a nest on @ branch of a tree. Macgillivray, on the contrary, heard that the Rifle-bird of that country laid white eggs, which were placed in the ‘nes to the opinion that the latter mode of nidification is more probably that, when we obtain reliable information about the breeding- found to place their nests in the open and on the branches of to Dr. Beccari by native | n the natives of Cape York Count Salvadori incl the correct one; but my own opinion is habits of the genus Puilorhis, the species will be s Beccari’s hunters have stated. frot hole of a tree. trees, a : oe —. ie : Sionor D’Albertis states that ‘1 its habits the Rifle-bird 1s very shy, and it is impossible to hunt it; but by 12 t Vis C c 5 : ee cee s<-—-pooih, oooih, oooih—it may be brought withir imitating its cry, which consists of three distinct notes—o0or, 7 y 5 SG suer, for the bird, overcome with curiosity to find out who is daring to try and charm his female, s , ’ A : i ; : the outside of the trees, craning his neck in all directions on the look-out for the intruder, iriosity and jealousy. 1 of the present species consists of seeds and fruits as well as of its pur comes at last to when of course he pays the penalty for his ct According to Signor D’Albertis the fooc insects. The bird named Ptilorhis wilsoni by Dr. Ogden, Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, seems to be a made-up specimen, it has since been found that they belong to some other bird. and figured in the ‘ Proceedings’ of the Academy of and the differences founded on the 2 3 Fee structure of the legs cannot be of any value, as Count Salvadori thinks that otherwise it may be a representative of the large race from Triton Bay which Salvadori also notes a large specimen from Sorong. 2 ae Schlegel called Paradisea magnifica major. Adult male. General colour above velvety black with purplish reflections, the wing-coverts like the back, NIE but not so glossy 5 bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills black, externally glossed with steel-green, the innermost secondaries velvety black like the back; centre tail-feathers metallic steel-green, the remainder velvety blue-black, with a steel-green lustre on the outer edges of some of them ; head and nape metallic ereen ; lores, eyebrows, sides of face, cheeks, ear-coverts, and throat black, with a purple gloss ; the centre of the throat metallic steel-green, widening out into a preepectoral shield, which shows purplish reflections under Cy ¥. NE 3 ey I H i Ri DS ae tA certain lights, and is followed by a band of velvety black like the sides of the neck ; this band is again followed by a band of oily green across the upper breast ; remainder of under surface of body dark purple; the abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts black, as well as the long flank-plumes ; axillaries and under wing- coverts velvety black with a steel-blue gloss: “bill black; feet dull lead-colour” (D’ dlbertis) 3 “ iris nearly black; inside of mouth greenish yellow ; bare space round eye black ” (Beccar?). Total length 13°5 inches, culmen 2°3, wing 7-3, tail 4°0, tarsus 1-6. Adult female, Above cinnamon-rufous, the wings and tail entirely of the same colour as the back, the Ne 7 Ai Af a an ny a a, , x inner webs browner; over the eye a narrow streak of white; lores and sides of face dusky brown, the former washed with rufous ; the ear-coverts minutely streaked with rufous along the shafts of the feathers; cheeks white, the feathers somewhat scaly in appearance ; a malar streak of dark brown on each side of the throat ; throat white, slightly mottled with minute dusky cross markings; rest of under surface of body dull white, very numerously and thickly barred across with dusky blackish. Total length 12 inches, culmen 1°99, wing 6:6, tail 4°45, tarsus 1°65. Young male. Similar to the adult female, but of a deeper rufous, the head and neck rather dingier than the back; a tolerably well-defined white eyebrow, the feathers edged with brown; lores and ear-coverts dusky chocolate-brown, with a very few ochraceous shaft-streaks ; under surface of body dirty white, very hee barred across with black ; the flank-plumes elongated, but barred exactly like the breast ; from the Pa. pu an a malar streak of dusky black, continued down the sides of the throat on to the BET ete hate lk die cages Gt ce PN lath Gctered bs « os ee ey the young males don the plumage of the Probably a partial moult also takes ae A cai : ae iu hi ane ve ee The descriptions are taken from ecinle in the Bu a : ae eee i i figured PMO heii ee is 1 useum, which also contains the specimens ngurec y in the Gould Collection.