AN JP 1P 1B) IN| 1D) IP SX, XXlli

A 2. CrasPEDOPHORA ALBERTI.
Craspedophora alberti, Sharpe, Monogr. Parad. part vii. (1897).—Le Souéf, Ibis, 1897, p. 394, fig. 1.—Meyer,
wp, Il,
Abhandl. k. zool. Mus. Dresden, vii. no. 2, p. 40 (1898).

Ptilorhis alberti, Rothschild, Thierreich, Lief. 2, Parad. p- 25 (1898).

By some unaccountable mistake, I left this species out of my list of the Paradiseide in 1894 (Bull. Brit.
Orn. Club, iv. p. xii). I have always considered it to be distinct from P. magnifica.

Mr. D. Le Souef has given the following note on the nidification of the present bird (Ibis, 1897,
p 394) :—

“The eggs of this beautiful bird have been found this season at Cape York by Mr. H. G. Barnard, who
has been collecting there for Dr. C. Ryan, Dr, Snowball, and myself ; and I cannot do better than quote his
own notes on the subject, which are exceedingly interesting :—‘I found the first eges of this bird on
October 23rd, 1896, near Somerset, Cape York. On that date two nests were taken, each containing
two fresh eggs. The first (which I forward for description) was built in a small palm, seven feet from the
ground ; it was very loosely put together; in fact, if one is not very careful in taking such a nest it would
fall to pieces. As a rule the nests were placed in very conspicuous spots, the birds selecting patches of

scrub where the undergrowth is very thin, evidently with the intention of seeing an enemy approach, as I did
not ina single instance flush the bird from its nest. These birds are very shy and hard to get a shot at,
They do not seem particular as to the kind of tree they breed in, as I found them nesting in pandanus-trees
and palms, in small trees that had had their tops broken off and a few shoots growing out, also against the
stems of small trees where two or three vines met; in one instance I found the nest on the top of a stump
18 inches from the ground. If a nest was found with one egg and the egg were taken, the bird always laid
a second next day, but if the first egg was left it always disappeared.’

‘At the first nest Mr. Barnard found he bad to remain in hiding for over an hour before the bird returned,
but owing to the weather being so warm there was no fear of the eggs getting cold during that time. ‘The
female of the Victoria Rifle-bird sits very closely to ber nest, and the trunk of the tree on which she is
nesting often has to be struck several times before she will fly off.

«The nest is very loosely constructed of green twigs with the leaves on, large dead leaves, and vine-tendrils,
Its external depth is 5 inches, internal 2% inches ; external diameter 9 inches, internal 43 inches. The eves
are beautifully marked, and are very similar to those of the other two Rifle-birds. There are two types, one
having a much darker ground-colour than the other; both are slightly lustrous.

“© Type A.—The ground-colour is ochraceous buff, richly marked with stripes starting from the larger end
close to the apex, where they coalesce, towards the smaller end, and tapering off to a pomt. The markings
are of various lengths and breadths, some being large and going three parts down the egg, and others again
being only elongated dots. They vary in colour, but are principally various shades of rich rufous brown ;
some lighter ones appear of a greyish-blue hue. The markings have the appearance of being painted on
by hand, one often overlapping the other, and darker markings sometimes appear as if beneath the lighter
ones. They measure: A, 1°31X1-04 inch; B, 1:24X1-08 inch.

“© Type B.—The ground-colour cream-buff, the elongated markings thinner than in the preceding and com-
mencing further from the apex. Many of the markings are greyish blue at their larger end, darkening
gradually towards their point to rufous brown. The smaller end of the egg generally has few markings on
it, and those mostly small. ‘They measure: A, 1:22:88 inch; B, 1°28X-89 inch.”