26 PARADISEID-E. 



throat are three small purple glossy feathers, those on the sides of the throat having blackish 

 tips; a few of the abdomen and flank feathers have a blackish wash towards the tips, and there 

 is a single dull blackish-purple feather with a bronz)'-green tip. I regard this as a young bird 

 of the previous season, about eleven months old. Further progress towards maturity is shown 

 by a young male in the collection, obtained in tiie Richmond Ri\er District in October, 1870. 

 This specimen has many of the feathers on the crown of the head and hind neck of a bronzy 

 metallic-blue and green; the feathers on the sides of the face and upper portion of the throat 

 are blackish; on the centre of the throat are a few metallic steel-green featliers, those on the 

 lower portion being purple and having narrow metallic steel-green edges; the feathers on the 

 centre of the breast, and tiie lower breast, are dull blackish -purple. 



Like the Regent Bower-bird, the full adult lixery of the male of this species is partially assumed 

 by a gradual change in the colours of the feathers, as well as by moult. The time of the year when 

 both of these birds were obtained will show that they must at least be the young of the previous 

 season, and probably another twelve months would elapse before they assumed their full adult 

 livery. \'ery old females have the sides of the face and the upper portion of the throat white. 



From nests found in the Richmond and Tweed River scrubs, in New South Wales, and 

 young birds obtained near the Brisbane River, Queensland, October and the three following 

 months would appear to constitute the breeding season of this species. 



Ptilorhis victoriae. 



QUEEN VICTORIA'S RIFLK-BIRD. 

 Ptiloris victoria>, Gould, Proc. Zool. 80c., 1840, p. Ill, pi. .xii. 



Ptilorhis rictoriVe, Gould, Handbk. Bds. Austr., Vol. I., p. 49.3 (1SG.5) ; id., Bds. Austr., fol., 

 Suppl., pi. .50 (1869); Sharpe, Cat. Uds. Brit. Mas., Vol. III., p. 1.55, (1877). 

 Adult .m.ale — General colour above and below rich velvety-black, strongly glossed with purple; 

 tail-feathers velvety-black glossed with purple, the two central ones shorter and of a rich lustrous 

 metallic-green; forehead, crown of the head, and nape, shining metallic-green with a coppery gloss ; 

 on the lower throat and fore-neck a triangular patch of shining metallic steel- green feathers with a 

 slight purplish lustre; lower neck and chest rich velvety black glossed tvith purple; remainder of the 

 under-surface oil-green, with velvety-black bases to the feathers; lengthened Jlank p/lumes velvety- 

 black tipped with oil-green, some of the lower ones having a rich coppery-green lustre; under tail- 

 coverts black; bill and legs black; iris dark brown. Total length 9:5 inches, wing 5-5, tail 3Jf, 

 bill 1'45, tarsus 1-35. 



Adult tehm^v, — General colour above ashy-brown, the feathers of the head slightly darker and 

 having narrow buff shaft streaks; lesser and median wing-coverts like the back : primaries, secondaries, 

 and greater wing-coverts, brown washed tvith orange-rufous, and which is more conspicuous on the 

 apical half of the outer secondaries; tail-feathers brown, tinged tvith olive; over the eije and extending 

 along the side of ihe head a line of buffy-white feathers; chin and throat buffy-white, passing into 

 fawn colour on the remainder of the under surface, which is spotted on tin breast and indistinctly 

 barred on the fanks tvith dark brown; under tail-coverts faivn colour; bill and leys black; iris 

 dark brown. Total length 9 inches, wing 5, tail 3- 2, bill 1-^, tarsus 1-3.5. 



Z)w<ri6M/ion.— North-eastern Queensland, from the neighbourhood of the Bloomficld River, 

 south to the Herbert River. 



