31-4 On the Bower-bird Cnemophilus tnarise. 



bill black. Length 190, wing 97, tail 95, cnlmen exposed 15, 

 tarsus S7." 



Mr. De Vis, at my request, has now most kindly sent to 

 the Editors of this Journal for illustration specimens of both 

 sexes of this most interesting bird, and it will be found 

 figured in the accompanying plate (Plate VIII.) by Mr. Keule- 

 mans. I propose to add a few remarks on it. 



On showing the specimens to Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, 

 whose knowledge of the Paradise-birds and Bower-birds is 

 unrivalled, he immediately suggested that the female was 

 the same as Loria lorice, lately described by Count Salvador! 

 in the ' Annals ' of the Museo Civico of Genoa (ser. 2, vol. xiv.. 

 May, 1891). 



Count Salvador! having most kindly forwarded the typical 

 specimen of his species to London for comparison, I find 

 that Dr. Sharpe w'as correct, or very nearly so, in his 

 identification; yet, as the females in this group of birds 

 are often extremely similar, w^hile the males are speci- 

 fically different, I think it would be dangerous to assume 

 that Cnemophilus mai'ice is alsolutely identical with Loria 

 lorice. Although the plumage of the two specimens before 

 me is closely alike and the dimensions are nearly the 

 same, I observe that the bill in Loria lorice is rather nar- 

 rower, and that va Cnemophilus maria there are no — or at 

 any rate very slight — indications of the wattle at the angle of 

 the mouth, wbich, as Count Salvador! has pointed out^ is a 

 noticeable feature in Loria lorice. It is therefore, I think, 

 quite possible that these two birds may belong to two dif- 

 ferent but closely allied species, although there can be no 

 doubt that they appertain to the same genus. Under these 

 circumstances I have thought it right to adopt Loria as the 

 correct generic name of this new form, while I retain 

 Mr. De A'^is^s specific term marice. In my opinion Loria 

 iharice should be referred to the Bower-birds [Ptilonorhyn- 

 chidce), as evidenced by the general structure and the cha- 

 racter of the female plumage, although the erect velvety 

 plumes and metallic colouring of the frontal feathers in the 

 male show indications of relationship to the Paradise-birds. 



