290 Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Ornithology 



a spatulate feather tip to the fully-developed black whaleboue- 

 like rachis. 



The Paradisea rubra differs from its allies in the colour of the 

 bill, which is a pretty clear gamboge- or ochre-yellow, with a 

 very faint greenish tinge; the iris is of a blackish olive: the 

 feet dark reddish or fleshy olive ; the claws horny. Its voice is 

 very similar to that of its allies, but less shrill, and like them 

 it seems to be very abundant in its native forests, though, 

 from its activity and incessant motion, by no means easy to 

 procure. I several times observed the adult males on low trees 

 and among bushes only a few feet from the ground. They 

 crept along the branches and up the nearly vertical trunks, ap- 

 parently in search of insects, which, I believe, they only feed on 

 when their favourite food, the " ivarmgin/' or Indian fig, is not 

 to be obtained. At these times they utter a low clucking note, 

 very different to their usual shrill call, which seems always to 

 proceed from the summits of lofty trees. 



EpimachidiB are altogether absent from Waigiou. The nearest 

 ally to the Paradisece is Manucodia, of which only one species 

 is found. Of the rare Parrots imputed to Waigiou, Psittacodis 

 stavorini and Chalcopsitta rubiginosa, I could see or hear nothing. 

 In fact, I found no Psittaci that I had not previously obtained, 

 and none but very common species. Of Pigeons I obtained many 

 species, but few new. The most abundant Carpophaga was C. 

 sundevalii, one of the hump-beaked group. The swelling seems 

 equally large in both sexes. Three other New Guinea species 

 occur, and also the Gilolo Cpet^spicillata. The Ptilonopus pra- 

 sinorrhous of Ke and Goram occurred here also on the small 

 islands, while on the mainland of Waigiou, P. sup)erbus and the 

 lovely little P.]}ulchellus are the characteristic forms. There is, 

 I think, a new species, of which I got a male in Gagie Island, and 

 which also occurred in Mysol, marked only with a vinous patch 

 on the breast. Of the splendid lanthocnas hahnaheira, Bp., or a 

 closely allied species, I obtained a single specimen, and also one 

 of a species of Eutrijgon. Of other birds I got scarcely anything 

 new, besides one or two Redes and Myiolestes, a fine Podargus, 

 and one or two small birds. My whole collection only amounted 

 to 74 species, almost all common New Guinea birds ; and I un- 



