NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE, 



Vol. II. JUNE, 1895. No. 2. 



A NEW BIRD OF PARADISE. 



By the HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD. 



(Plate V.) 



Astrapia splendidissima sp. no\-. 



Adult Male. — Head, sides of the head, OL-ciput, and hind-iieck lirilliant metallic 

 golden green, the feathers of the occiput bright blue, narrowly edged with the 

 golden green. Back shining velvety purple ; rump and upper tail-coverts .sootv 

 black. Chin and throat liluish green with an oily gloss. Between the throat and 

 ear-coverts is a narrow line of fiery crimson, running down into the crimson patch 

 on the upper breast. Feathers of the lower neck greenish pui"ple, edged with 

 crimson in a certain light, and followed by a broad semicircular patch of deep 

 fiery crimson. Breast and abdomen dark metallic green, with an olive oilv gloss, 

 as on the abdomen of Astrapia nigra. On the sides of the breast under the 

 wing are some broad scaly gi-een feathers, edged with copper. Thighs and under 

 tail-coverts sooty black. Wings and upper wing-coverts sooty black, shghtly glossed 

 with purple. L'nder wing-coverts like the back. Two outer pairs of rectrices black 

 with the utmost base white ; third pair with a large white basal spot; fourth pair 

 with nearly the basal third white; fifth pair white for two-thirds, the tip black. 

 The apical portion of the central })air of tail-feathers is unfortunately shot away; 

 the remaining part is white, and we may well suppose that they are likewise broadlv 

 tipped with black. Bill and legs (in skin) blackish brown. 



t'ulmen Vo.o inch ( = o9'3 mm.) ; wing d'2;3 inches (= 133'.imm.) ; tarsus 1'5 incli 

 (= 38 mm.) ; the proportional length and gradual increase in length of the rectrice.s 

 is the same as in Astrapia nigra, the outermost pair being shortest, i.e. 2'9 inches 

 (= 73-5 mm.), the second ]iairfroni the central (tlie fifth) being 6'8 inches( = 173 mm.) 

 long. Judging from the thickness of the shafts of the central pair, as well as from 

 the gradual increase of the rest and from the similarly constructed tail of Astrapia, 

 nigra, we may suppose that the central tail-feathers are about 9 or 10 inches long. 



The type is in my Museum at 'I'ring. It was found among a number of 

 pluraassiers' trade-skins, said to have come from the foot of the Charles Louis 

 Mountains in Dutch New (iuinea. 



On comparison with Astrapia nigra some of the structural characters show 

 important differences. Tlie feathers covering part of the nostrils are a little shorter 

 than in ,1. nigra. 'Ihe large tufts behind the ear-coverts of A. nigra are very 

 much smaller, in Fact barely indicated, in A. splendidissima, and not different in 



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