Seleucides nigricans

Description

Drawing depicting: Seleucides nigricans, Tracing on tissue. This appears to be an early version of the plates. The drawing shows one full-size bird, plus 2 in the distance, and a profuse berry-bearing plant; the bird's bill is closed. In Birds of New Guinea I: 14 the principal bird's bill is partially open, holding a large insect, and there is a second full-sized bird. In Sharpe's Birds of Paradise I: 9 the positions of the 2 birds are changed, and both birds are eating berries from the same sort of tree as in the drawing. Interestingly enough, Bowdler Sharpe writes in the text to his Paradiseidae: "The Plates are the same as those published by Gould in his 'Birds of New Guinea.' "