APPENDIX A 269 



metallic discs of the long middle tail-feathers arc 

 erected and waved overhead. An interesting description 

 of the display of this species is given by Sir William 

 Ingram in the Ihis, 1907, p. 225, with a coloured 

 plate and figures drawn by Mr. G. E. Lodge from a 

 living specimen. 



Mr. Walter Goodfellow made an interesting observa- 

 tion on the habits of this species. While watching some 

 Pigeons on the opposite bank of the river through his 

 glasses he saw a small bird rise from the top of a tree 

 and soar into the air like a Sky-Lark. After it had 

 risen about 30 feet, it suddenly seemed to collapse and 

 dropped back into the tree as though it had been shot. 

 It proved to be a King Bird-of-Paradise and probably 

 this soaring habit is a part of the display not indulged 

 in by captive birds confined in comparatively small 

 cages. 



A Rifle-Bird (Ptilorhis magnifica) was fairly common 

 both on the coast and near the mountains and its call 

 consisting of two long-drawn notes, one ascending, the 

 other descending, might be heard at all hours of the day. 

 Its plumage is mostly velvety black on the head and 

 upper -parts, but the crown, middle of the throat and 

 chest, as well as the middle pair of tail-feathers, are 

 metallic blue and a bronze-green band separates the 

 chest from the deep purplish-maroon under-parts. The 

 outer flight feathers are curiously pointed and strongly 

 falcate and some of the side-feathers terminate in long, 

 narrow decomposed plumes. The long curved bill and 

 the legs are black, while the inside of the mouth is pale 

 apple-green as is the case in several other species of 

 Paradise-Birds. 



Though a well-known species, we must not omit to 

 mention the splendid Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise 

 (Seleiicides niger). The plumage of the male is like dark 

 brown plush shot with bronze-green on the back and 



