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Pritoris Victorr#, Gould. (Aves, Pl. XII.) 
Sp. Ch.—Male: general plumage rich deep velvety black, glossed 
on the upper surface, sides of the neck, chin and breast with plum- 
colour ; feathers of the head and throat small, scale-like, and of a shining, 
metallic bronzy green ; feathers of the abdomen very much developed, 
of the same hue as the upper surface, but each feather so broadly 
margined with rich deep olive-green, that the colouring of the basal 
portion of the feather is hidden, and the olive-green forms a broad 
abdominal band, which is sharply defined above, but irregular below ; 
two centre tail-feathers rich shining metallic green, the remainder 
deep black ; bill and feet black. 
Female: all the upper surface greyish brown, tinged with olive ; 
head and sides of the neck dark brown, striated with greyish brown ; 
over each eye a superciliary stripe of buff; wing-feathers edged with 
ferruginous ; chin and throat pale buff; remainder of the under sur- 
face, under wing-coverts, and the base of the inner webs of the quills 
rich deep reddish buff, each feather with an irregular spot of brown 
near the tip, dilated on the flanks into the form of irregular bars ; 
bill and feet black. 
Total length, 103 inches; bill, 13; wing, 5; tail, 31; tarsi, 12. 
Hab. Barnard’s Isles. 
Remark.—This new species must be placed in the first rank of the 
many beautiful birds inhabiting Australia ; indeed there are few from 
any part of the world that can vie with it in the richness of its colour- 
ing; and I cannot possibly have a better opportunity than now pre- 
sents itself of paying a just tribute of respect to our most gracious 
Queen, by bestowing upon this lovely denizen of the Australian forests 
the specific appellation of Victorie ;—I say of the Australian forests, 
for although the specimen from which my description is taken is from 
the Barnard Isles, within the Barrier Reef and only a few miles from 
the north-eastern shore of Australia, I have evidence, in the notes of 
the late Mr. Gilbert, that it inhabits the mainland, since he states 
therein that the Rifle-bird inhabits the northern as well as the south- 
ern part of Australia; in which he was in error; the bird he saw in 
the northern part of the country being doubtless the one here de- 
scribed. 
It is very nearly allied to the Péiloris paradiseus, but is a smaller 
bird, with a still more gorgeous colouring. It may be distinguished 
from that species by the purple of the breast presenting the ap- 
pearance of a broad pectoral band, bounded above by the scale-like 
feathers of the throat, and below by the abdominal band of deep oil- 
green, and also by the broad and lengthened flank-feathers, which 
show very conspicuously. 
SPHECOTHERES FLAVIVENTRIS, Gould. 
Sp. Ch.—Male : crown of the head and cheeks glossy black ; orbits, 
and a narrow space leading to the nostrils naked, and of a light buffy 
yellow, or flesh-colour ; all the upper surface, wing-coverts, outer webs 
of the secondaries, and a patch on either side of the chest, olive-green ; 
chin, chest, abdomen and flanks beautiful yellow; vent and under 
