2. SELErCIDKS. loiJ 



2. SELEUCIDES. 



lype. 



Seleucides, Less. Hist. Nat. Ois. Parnd. St//i. p. 29 S. nig-er. 



Neniatophora, Grui/, List Gen. B. 1840, p. 12 S. niger. 



Range. Confined to New Guinea. 



1. Seleucide^ niger*. 



Le Manucode a douze filets, Audeb. ct Vieill. Ois. Dor. ii. p. 29, 



pi. 13. 

 Le Nebouleux, Levaill. Ois. de Parad. i. pis. 10, 17. 

 Le Promerops luultifil, Levaill. H. N. Promer. et Giiep. pi. 17. 

 Paradisea nigra, Sltmv, Gen. Znol. vii. pt. 2, p. 488, pi. 60 (1809). 

 Paradisea alba, lilumenh. Abhild. nut. Gegenst. pi, 9G ; Schl. J. f. (). 



18(Jl, p. .386. 

 Paradisea nigricans, Shaip, t. c. p. 489. 

 Paradisea violacea, Bechst. Kurze Uehers. p. 133. 

 Paradisea vaiilanti, Shaiv ^- Nodd. Nat. Misc. xxiv. pi. 1025. 

 White-winged Paradise-bird, Lath. Gen. Hist. iii. p. 197. 

 Twelve-\Yired Paradise-bird, Lath. t. c. p. 199, pi. 48. 

 Le Promerops a douze filets, Vieill. Gal. Ois. pi. 185. 

 Epimacbus albus, Wagler, Si/st. Av. 1S27, Epimacbus, sp. 9 ; Grai/, 



Gen. B. i. p. 94; id. P. Z. S. 1861, p. 433; IFall. P. Z. S. 1862, 



p. 160; Schl. Mas. P.-B. Coraces, p. 95; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. 



p. 105. 

 Falcinellus resplendens, Less. Traite, p. 324. 

 Seleucides acautbylis, Less. H. N. Ois. Parad. pis. 36-38 ; id. Syn. 



p. 29. 

 Nematophora alba, Gray, List Gen. B. 1840, p. 12. 

 Seleucides alba, Bp. Consp. i. p. 412 ; Wallace, Malay Archip. ii. 



p. 253 ; Elliot, Monogr. Parad. pi. xxii. ; Satvad. Ann. Mns. Civic. 



Genov. vii. p. 785 ; Beccari, t. e. p. 713 ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1876, p. 252. 

 Seleucides resplendens, Rosenb. J.f. O. 1864, p. 123. 

 Seleucides iguota, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. ix. p. 191 . 



Adult male. General colour above velvet}- black, with a strong 

 gloss of oil-green when viewed from the light, with coppery bronze 

 reflections ; scapulars and wing-coverts resembling the back ; greater 

 coverts and secondaries fiery purple, the primaries black with 

 an external gloss of violet ; tail fiery purjjle ; head all round of a 

 velvety texture, coppery purple above, oily green on the sides of the 

 face and throat ; fore neck and chest velvety black, forming a shield, 

 somewhat shaded with oily green in the centre, the lateral plumes 

 all tipped with bright metallic emerald-green, forming a fringe ; 



* Count Salvadovi, in his recently published list of the Birds of Paradise, 

 quotes this bird as Sclciicid^'s ignota, and founds this name on the Paradisea 

 uinota of Forster (Zool. Ind. p. 31). Neither this name nor V. alha of Gmelin 

 appear to me available, as they are both founded on names in the above-men- 

 tioned work of Forster. On examining the latter we find that he is there 

 enumerating tlie species of liirds of Paradi.se, of which he .says there are "about'' 

 sis .species known, and these are : — 1. P. major aruana ; 2. P. minor papuana\ 

 3 (fc 4. P. species duaj nigi-a; ; 5. P. Candida ; 6. P. ignota. &c. It is evident that 

 Forster does not use these names in a binomial sense, but that by employing 

 the name ignota he really meant that the species was ««/.'«oi('« to him. Tlie 

 next name which will take precedence is P. nigra of Slinw. 



