532 BIRDS OP AUSTRALIA. 



The whole of the plumage black, glossed with green ; the 

 tail largely tipped with white ; bill horn-colour, much darker 

 at the base ; wattles rich orange ; legs and toes blackish horn- 

 colour ; claws light horn-colour. 



Family EPIMACHIDiE. 



Genus SEMIOPTERA, G. R. Gray. 



At present the single species known of this genus stands 

 alone and is rendered very remarkable by the white plumes 

 which spring from the centre part of each wing. 



Sp. 7. SEMIOPTERA WALLACEI, G. B. Gray. 



Standard-wing. 



Paradisea wallacei, G. R. Gray in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xxvii. 



p. 130. 

 Semioptera, G. R. Gray, lb. 



Semioptera wallacei, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol.. Supplement, 

 Pi. 



The Standard-wing, the most remarkable Insessorial bird 

 that has been discovered for many years, was obtained 

 by A. R. Wallace, Esq., in the island of Batchian, one of the 

 Moluccas, which, according to Guthrie's ' Geography,' " pro- 

 duces cloves, is very fruitful, and belongs to the Dutch ; long. 

 125° 5' E." How much gratified Mr. Wallace must have 

 been when this remarkable form first met his gaze ! and how 

 enthusiastically does he write on this and the other objects 

 with which he was surrounded : — 



In a letter to Mr. S. Stevens he says, " Here I have been 

 only five days, yet I believe I have already secured the finest 

 and most wonderful bird in the island. I consider it the 

 greatest discovery I have yet made ; and it gives me hopes of 

 getting other species in Gilolo and Ceram. There is also here 

 a species of Monkey — much further eastwards than in any 



