P 'Moris par adiseus. 481 



We must here notice the Epimaque promefil of M. Cuvier,* 

 which presents a strong resemblance, in many respects, to Ptiloris, 

 This bird I had the opportunity of seeing and describing before the 

 dispersion of Mr. Bullock's collection, when it was secured for 

 the French Museum. The legs of this specimen were unfor- 

 tunately wanting, and were doubtless imperfect in that described 

 by M. Cuvier. Until their structure can be examined, it will be 

 impossible to decide whether this bird belongs to the Promeropidce 

 or to the Meliphagidw. For the present, I concur with M. Cuvier 

 in placing it among the former ; considering it may connect, (in 

 conjunction with the Grand Promerops of New Guinea) the 

 family of Promeropidce with that of Paradiseidw, which latter 

 again passes into the Meliphagidce by means of Ptiloris. 



Having now endeavoured to ascertain the station which this 

 extraordinary bird holds in Nature, it only remains for me to give 

 the characters by which it may be known as a species. 



Ptiloris paradiseus. 



P. supra nitide atro-purpureus, infra nitide alro-'oiridis ; vertice 

 Jugulo rectricibusque mediis splendide cceruleo-viridibus. 



Black, glossed with purple above and green beneath ; crown, 

 throat,, and two middle tail feathers splendid blue-green. 



MALE. 



It is impossible for any written description, or coloured repre- 

 sentation, to convey an adequate idea of the rich and varied 

 tints of this superb creature. Its size is about that of the six 

 shafted Paradise bird, and its general colour is a deep velvet 

 black, glossed on the upper parts with rich brownish lilac, which 

 in some lights, leaves the margin of each feather black, and gives 

 them a scale-like appearance; this gloss is very rich on the 

 scapular quills, but is only seen on the outer sides of the greater 

 quill feathers. The whole upper part of the head is covered by a 

 crown of small scale-like feathers, of a splendid metallic blue- 



* Regne Animal, Tom. I, p. 408; PI. 4, f, 2, 



