194 The Aviaries and Birds at Hoddam Castle. 



mandible: bill and leg's 'black, iris beautiful light blue. Total 

 length 12-1- inches, tail 5^. 



PEINCESS STEPHANIE'S B. of P. (Astrachia steph- 

 a?iioe). Two pairs of this species adorn the H.C. aviaries, and 

 the male with his caudal plumes, some 20 inches long, is a 

 sight long to be remembered as he disports himself about the 

 enclosure, and I venture to hope either Mr. Brook or Mr. 

 Goodfellow will describe fully the cuui-ting display. 



Male. Above it is mostly gfeenish-olive, with the rump 

 and ui^per tail coverts blackish-olive; the quills black glossed with 

 purple; tail feathers black, the inner ones with white shafts and 

 a beautiful purplish gloss; head rich metallic green with purplish 

 reflections; forehead, sides of face, throat and chest shining emerald 

 g^een; ear coverts steel-blue, merging into purplish as they form 

 a frill on each side of the nape; sides of neck and a broad baud 

 across the chest shining bronzy-olive, edged below with fiery copper; 

 remainder of under plumage coppery-red. Total length 31 inches, 

 tail 24 to 26. 



Female. Dull ulive-browu abo\e, mottled with l.'lack ; tail 

 velvety black; head, throat, and foreneck black, lightly glossed with 

 olive-green; rest of under plumage tawny-buff, barred across with 

 black. Total length 20^ inches, tail 13. 



D'ALBERTI'S SOUTHERN B. of P. {D. cervinicauda). 

 Mr. Brook has only a female of this species. The extra- 

 ordinary plumes and appendages of the m^le are well shoAvn on 

 a black and white plate (vide Bird Notes/' Vol. VITr.,^ p. 

 124), of D. albertisi, also the contour and plumage markings 

 of the female, which are very similar in both species. 



MEYER'S SICKLE-BILLED B. of P. (Epimachus 

 meyeri). Two pairs of this species were to be seen in their 

 respective enclosures, and one can only hope that they may 

 soon attempt to breed, and that success may attend their 

 efforts. The bill is long, slender, and curved. 



Adult Male. The upper surface is rich velvety black 

 with feathers of metallic coppery-green on the head, middle of back 

 and rump; lores and sides of the head bronzy-green; underside of 

 body, sides and flank plumes mouse-brown glossed with purple; sides of 

 sheaths blackish with purple sheen and broadly tipped with blue 

 and green; side and flank plumes tipped with a bai' of rosy lilac. 

 Pemale. Upper surface brown; under surface greyish-bulf 

 with transverse brown markings. 



The foregoing notes are utterly inadequate to do justice 

 to these unique and rare PARADISEID^, in fact each species 

 needs an article to itself to fittingly describe it. I gleaned 



