On the Bower-bird Caemophilus mariae. 343 



XXVII. — On the Bower-bird recently described by Mr. C. W. 

 De Vis as Cnemophilus marise. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., 

 Ph.D., F.R.S. 



(Plate VIII.) 



As already recorded in tins Journal (above, p. 280), Mr. C. 

 W. De Vis, the Curator of the Queensland Museum, in a 

 report, dated June 30thj 1894, and addressed to the Adminis- 

 trator of British New Guinea, described a collection of birds 

 made by Captain Armit and Mr. Guise during Sir William 

 Macgregor's recent exploration of Mount Maneao. Amongst 

 the new birds characterized on this occasion was what Mr. De 

 Vis considered at the time to be a second species of his lately 

 instituted genus Cnemophilus, which was dedicated to Lady 

 Macgregor as Cnemophilus marice. Of this species a male 

 had been obtained on Mount Maneao in the month of April 

 at an elevation of 5650 feet, and a young male and five 

 females at 5000 feet. In his report Mr. De Vis described 

 Cnemophilus marice as follows : — 



"Male. Wholly black ; upper surface of wings and tail 

 with a brilliant blue sheen, remainder of body-plumage 

 velvet-black (duller on rump and abdomen) with a fainter 

 sheen; post-nasal plumes flat, squamate, highly iridescent, 

 forming a nasal shield, meeting its fellow of the opposite 

 side in a slight ridge over base of culmen ; under surface of 

 wing and tail deep fuscous ; legs dark brown ; bill black. 

 Length 185 mm., culmen exposed 13, -wing 96, tail 76, 

 tarsus 38. 



"Female. Upper surface olive-green ; edges of feathers 

 brown, forming transverse bars on the neck and back, and 

 more or less distinctly on the head; lower back, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts with few or no bars ; lower surface yellower, 

 especially on abdomen ; feathers from chin to upper breast 

 brown-edged ; wing fuscous ; outer edges of quills rufous ; 

 wing beneath brown, inner webs pale rufous from base of 

 first primary to near the tips of the secondaries ; under wing- 

 coverts pale yellowish buff ; tail rufous brown, washed with 

 olive ; under surface fuscous brown ; legs brownish black ; 



