534 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



shoulder feathers, and expand the elegant shields on each 

 side of the breast. Like the Birds of Paradise, the females 

 and young birds far outnumber the fully plumaged birds, 

 which renders it probable that the extraordinary accessory 

 plumes are not fully developed until the third or fom-th year. 

 The bird seems to feed principally upon fruit, but it probably 

 takes insects occasionally. 



" I have obtained a few examples of apparently the same 

 bird from Gilolo, but in these the crown is of a more decided 

 violet hue, and the plumes of the breast are much larger," 



On the basal half of the upper mandible a series of erected 

 tuft-like feathers of a pale sandy buff, blending on the forehead 

 into the delicate velvety dove-coloured feathers of the crown 

 and occiput ; sides of the head, back of the neck, and upper 

 surface light brown, becoming darker and having a velvety 

 appearance on the back and scapularies, each of these feathers 

 has also a very narrow edging of a lighter hue ; wings light 

 brown, fading into buffy white, with a silver gloss at the tips 

 of the primaries and secondaries ; shafts of the primaries 

 white ; the two lengthened plumes springing from each shoul- 

 der snowy white ; tail brown with white shafts, and becoming 

 of a silveiy light brown at the tip ; throat, neck, chest, and 

 projecting side-feathers of the breast bordered with brilliant 

 green, giving it a scaled appearance ; flanks washed with the 

 same colour, but less brilliant ; thighs light brown ; irides 

 deep blue ; bill horny-olive ; feet orange ; claws horny. 



The female has the tuft on the upper mandible and the 

 crown of the head the same as in the male, and is entirely de- 

 void of the green colouring and lengthened plumes both of the 

 breast and wings, her entire plumage being brown, without 

 ornamentation of any kind. 



