CRASPEDOPHORA. 2& 



are formed, almost the entire length of the shell, of rich red on the larger end, and which 

 gradually passes into purplish-grey on the smaller end. In rare instances a conspicuous patch 

 of coalesced streaks will be found near the centre of an egg, otherwise it will be almost devoid of 

 markings. A set of two measures as follows: — Length (A) i-27xo-9i inches; (B) 1-25 x 0-91 

 inches. Another set measures (A) 1-22 x 0-93 inches; (B) 1-21 x 0-9 inches. A set of two in the 

 collection of Mr. Charles French, Junr., measures (A) 1-2x91 inches; (B) 1-23 x 0-9 inches. 



The above sets were taken by Mr. R. Hislop at \ arious times in the Bloomfield River 

 District, Xorth-eastern Queensland. 



The bird figured represents an adult male. 



G-eH-aS Or2-<f^SI=EIDOP=i3:OIS.^^, Gray. 



Craspedophora alberti. 



PKINCE ALBEET'S EIFLE-BIED. 

 Ptiloris magnijica (nee Vieill.), Gould, Bds. Austr., fob, Suppl., pi. 51. 

 Craspedophora magnifica (iicc Vieill.), Gould, Handbk. Bds. Aust., Vol. I., p. -59.3 (186.5). 

 Ptilorliis alberti, Elliott, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1871, p. 58.3 ; Sharpe, Oat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. III., 

 p. 156 (1877). 



Adult male — General colour above and below velvety black, shaded tvith purple; quills blue- 

 black; the lesser and median, winy-coverts like the back, the greater coverts and inner secondaries 

 glossed with purplish-blue ; tail feathers velvety-black, the tivo central ones shorter, and of a lustrous 

 metallic-green, the next on either sid", glossed ivitli the same colour on the outer iveb ; forehead, crown 

 of the liead, and nape, shining metallic green : chin and sides of the throat rich purple; from the 

 chin and extending out on to the chest there is a large triangular sliield of lustrous metallic bluish- 

 green feathers, ivhich is bordered below by a narrow velvety-purple band and a second band of golden 

 olive-green; remainder of the under surface dull purplish black tinged tuith olive, the ffank feathers 

 terminating in long silky plumes extending beyond the end 0/ the tail; bill and legs black; iris dark 

 brown. Total length from tip of bill to end of tail' IJ inches, to ends of flank plumes 13 2, wing 6-S, 

 tail 4'3, bill 2-1, tarsus 1-65. 



Adult female — General colour above, brown sliaded ivit/i olive; quills brown strongly n-ashed 

 tvith orange-chestnut ; wing-coverts dark broivn; tail featliers orange-cliestniit ; a line over the eye ichite; 

 lores (lark brown; clieeks and throat dull ichite, separated by a line of dark brown at tlie base oj tlie 

 lower mandible ; remainder of the under surface dull white, crossed with numerous blackish bars, wider 

 apart and less distinct 071 the loiver breast, fanks, and under tail coverts ; bill and legs black; iris 

 dark brown. Total length ll.i incites, wing IJ'2, tail ^'2, bill 2, tarsus IG. 



Distribution. — Cape York Peninsula. 



/T^H.VT rich belt of tropical flora extending along the coast range of north-eastern Queensland, 

 -L is doubtless to a large extent, like portion of its avifauna, of Papuan derivative, and in it 

 are found many species of birds, common alike to New Guinea, that are not represented in any 

 other part of the continent. Among them, therefore, it is not surprising that several species 

 in that region are close representatives of Papuan forms, and were regarded originally as 

 belonging to the older and well-known insular species. To a marked degree Gould possessed 

 considerable acumen in discovering the slightest divergence from the common type of a species, 

 yet in this instance, although he noted differences too slight to be considered specific, he regarded 

 the present species as being the same as one inhabiting New Guinea, Craspedophora magnifica, 

 and describes it in his " Handbook to the Birds of Australia" under the older name. 



