of the Lesser Bird-of-Paradise. 4-1-1 



was furnished by the British Museum, in an example oiPara- 

 disea apoda. The result of a comparison of the specimens 

 of the two species shews that they arc practically identical 

 both as concerns their myology and pterylosis. Such small 

 differences as do exist will be pointed out in due course. 



Naturally, in working out this question, I compared the 

 muscles of Paradisea not only with those of such of its 

 near relatives as I could obtain, but also with the more 

 distant allies, or supposed allies, of the Birds-of-Paradise *. 

 For an opportunity of examining Ptilorhis paradisea I have 

 also to thank Mr. Bcddard, who kindly sent me a specimen 

 from his stores at the Prosectorium. 



From the nature of this investigation it was obviously 

 impossible to ignore questions of pterylosis ; and since so 

 little is really known on the subject, Mr. Grant and 1 feel 

 that this opportunity may well be taken to describe in detail 

 the disposition of all the feather-tracts, of Paradisea at 

 least, and not merely those which are directly concerned 

 with the display. 



Hitherto the only published accounts on this subject 

 appear to be the very brief and insufficient descriptions of 

 Nitzsch and Giebel, which will be more particularly 

 reviewed later. 



Pteryloghaphy. 



Pteryla capitis (text-fig. 28, p. 444, jit.cap.). — This is a 

 densely feathered area, even the usual interramal space being 

 absent. 



Pt. colli dorsalis (text-fig. 27, p. 442,pt.coll.d.). — The upper 

 part of this tract turns downwards to blend with the pt. colli 

 ventralis ; rather below the middle of the neck, after the 

 two tracts have regained their independence, the dorsal tract 

 passes on to a broad ridge of skin, the feathers imbedded in 

 which are very strong. Passing backwards, this ridge 

 merges with the : — 



Pt. spinalis (text-fig. 27,pt.sp.). — This tract, at a point a 



* I have carefully compared the dermal muscles of Paradisea apoda 

 with those of P. minor, Ptilorhis paradisea, Ptilonorhynchus violaceus, 



and Sericidus melinus. 



