210 Letters, Extracts fi-om (Correspondence, Notices, ^t. 



October 29th, 1858." This island, which lies westward of the 

 southern extremity of Gilolo, has not hitherto been much visited 

 by naturalists. Mr. Wallace has made a great discovery here, which 

 we hope may recompense him for his disappointments at HavTe- 

 Dorey. Who would have thought of a Paradise-bird, and more- 

 over of a new form, being found so far away from the mainland 

 of Papua ? Yet such is the fact ; a communication on this 

 subject was made to the last Meeting of the Zoological Society*, 

 and Mr. G. 11 . Gray has proposed to confer the title of Parudisea 

 {Semioptera) ivallacii on the new species. Mr. Wallace has 

 lately forwarded a few bird-skins from Amboyna, among which 

 are Lorius ruber, the true Geoffroius personatus, and Halcyon 

 lazuli (Temm.). The collection made at Havre-Dorey has also 

 just arrived, and contains some of the most splendid birds imagi- 

 nable, all in the finest condition. Among the Parrots are a new 

 Charmosyna, Eos fuscata, Eclectus cardinalis, Lorius tricolor, 

 Geoffroius pucherani c? et $ , Cyclopsitta desmaresti, and Micro- 

 glossa aterrima. There are many rare types, and several new 

 species, of which we are glad to say Mr. G. R. Gray has under- 

 taken the task of description. From Havre-Dorey comes Goura 

 coronata, while, according to Mr. Wallace's information, Goura 

 victoricE is from the island of Jobief. Mr. Wallace's private 



* " Zoological Society, Tuesday, March 22nd. — Mr. S. Stevens read 

 an extract from a letter leceived by him from Mr. A. R. Wallace, dated 

 'Batchian, Moluccas, Oct. 29, 1858,' in which Mr. Wallace stated that 

 he had the finest and most wonderful bird in the islands — a new Bird of 

 Paradise, of a new genus, quite unlike anything yet known. Mr. Wallace 

 enclosed a rough sketch of the bird. Mr. G. R. Gray having had the 

 above sketch placed in his hands for examination and comparison with 

 the other known species of Paradisea, agreed with Mr. Wallace that it is 

 an entirely new form, differing from all its congeners, approaching most 

 nearly to the King Bird of Paradise; but, in place of the lengthened caudal 

 appendages, it has springing from the lesser covert of each wing two long 

 shafts, each being webbed with white on each side at the apex. The 

 possession of these peculiar winged standards induced Mr. G. R. Gray to 

 projiose the subgeneric name Semioptera ; and he further added the i)ro- 

 visional specific name of wallacii, in commemoration of the indefatigable 

 energy Mr. Wallace had hithei'to shown in the advancement of ornitho- 

 logical knowledge." — {Literary Gazette, March 26th.) 



t See Mr. Wallace's letter in the ' Zoologist ' for March last. 



