156 PAUAinSEID^. 



■washed with olive, inclining to orange-chestnut towards the ends of 

 the quills : tail olive-brown. Total length i) inches, culmen 1-5, 

 wing 4-9, tail 3-2, tarsus 1-4. 



06s. Although from the description and plate in Mr. Elliot's 

 ' Monograph ' this Eitle-bird would not be considered a very dis- 

 tinct species, an examination of the types shows that it is so. It is 

 a very much smaller bird than P. paradisea ; and instead of the 

 purple shade of the throat the latter has a distinct reiiection of bur- 

 nished copper ; the gular shield is much smaller and has a coppery 

 gloss ; the purple is confined to the chest : and the rest of the under 

 surface is oily green. In P. paradisea the upper breast is purple 

 as well as the chest, and the shade of the underparts is olive-green. 

 The females of the two birds are quite different. 



Hah. Barnard Islands, North-eastern Australia. 



a. ^ ad. sk. Barnard Islands. J. Macgillivray, Esq. [C.]. 



(Tj'pe of species.) 

 h. 2 ad. St. Barnard Islands. J. Macgillivray, Esq. [C.]. 



c. 5 ad. sk. Barnard Islands. J. Macgilli\-ray, Esq. [0.]. 



3. Ptilorhis alberti *. 



Ptilorhis magnificus, Gould, B. Austr. v. Svppl. pi. 51. 

 Craspedophora magoifica, Goidd, Handb. B. Avstr. i. p. 595. 

 Ptilorhis alberti, EUiut, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 583 ; id. Monogr. Parad. 

 pi. xxiv. 



Adult male. General colour velvety black, appearing purple when 

 held away from the light, with somewhat of a bluish purple gloss 

 on some of the feathers, this latter shade being especially distinct 

 on the outer wing-coverts, which are otherwise like the back ; quills 

 blue-black, of a velvety texture, the inner secondaries glossed with 

 purplish blue ; tail velvety black, the two centre feathers metallic 



* Ptilokhis wilsoni. 



Ptiloris wilsoni, Ogdeii, Pr. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1875, p. 451, pi. 25. 



Top of head, occiput, throat, upper part of the breast extending around be- 

 neath the eyes, of a shining, metalHc, puri^lish-green colour ; the lower margin 

 of the metallic-coloured feathers of the breast is marked with a line of purple 

 and light green feathers, the latter blending with tlie purple-coloured feathers 

 of the abdomen ; entire upper parts velvety green, with purple reflections ; the 

 two central tail-feathers metallic green, the rest black, with the outer margin 

 shaded with purple ; the wings black, with the outer border purplish. Total 

 length (mounted specimen)14", bill 2" 3'", wing5"4"', tail 4" 2'", tarsus 1"4"', 

 ndddle toe 1" 1'". 



Hah. New Guinea. 



" This species is larger than either P. magnificus or P. alhertii. The metallic- 

 coloured featliers are larger, and extend over a greater surface of the throat 

 and breast ; the lower border is rounded. The tarsi are shorter and the toes 

 not so stout as in the above two species." 



Dr. Ogden, who describes this bird, does not give very trenchant characters 

 for its separation ; and the distinctions of size do not appear to be well founded. 

 If the plumage is correctly described, the "velvety green" colour of the 

 iqjper surface and the " light green '' chest -band would be better specific 

 chai'acters. 



