ON THE TRACHEA OP SELEUC1DES. 337 



deeper than those above, and occupied by delicate membrane only, so 

 that all this part of the trachea is highly elastic. 



The sterno-tracheales are inserted just below the lowest of these 

 peculiar rings, which is the last but three of those composing the trachea 

 the next two, which are very narrow, and the last, which is broad and 

 bears the pessulus, being concealed from view by the largely developed 

 syringeal muscles, of which there are four pairs, all, except the small 

 anterior long muscle, being inserted on the ends of the very strong 

 third bronchial semirings. The lateral tracheal muscles are weak, 

 extending, however, nearly to the thoracic end of the tube. 



Nothing like the modification of the trachea here described obtains in 

 any other allied form of Paradise-bird that I have been able to examine 

 (including Paradisea papuana and rubra, Ptilorhis dlberti, Phonygama 

 gouldij Manucodia atra, Ptilorhynchus violaceus and smitfii) ; nor do I 

 know any structure in other birds quite comparable with that now 

 described, which is probably correlated with the very loud harsh note of 

 these birds *. 



In all other respects Seleucides is, as might have been expected, a 

 typical oscinine Passerine. 



I may take this opportunity of remarking that the various published p. z. S. 1882, 

 figures of Seleucides nigra do not give a very accurate idea of the bird, as P- ^34- 

 they fail to represent the peculiar way in which the leg-feathering ceases 

 altogether some way above the " knee," leaving the large and muscular 

 legs bare for about an inch or so above that joint. 



The eyes are brilliant red ; the legs, including the bare skin above the 

 "knees," pale red, the claws greyish. The mucous membrane of the 

 mouth and superior surface of the tongue is bright emerald-green, a P. Z. S. 1882, 

 narrow line of this appearing at the angle of the mouth when the jaws P* 

 are closed. When the beak is open, the beautiful green of the mouth 

 and tongue is very conspicuous, and, contrasting with the bright red eye 

 and dark velvety plumage of the head, adds greatly to the general 

 appearance of the bird. 



It would be interesting to know whether the females of Seleucides also 

 have their mouth thus coloured, or whether it is a peculiarity of the 

 male, developed as a sexual ornament f . 



* Mr. Wallace, speaking of this species, says (Malay Archipelago, ii. p. 254, 

 London, 1869) : " It has a loud shrill cry, to be heard a long way, consisting of cah, 

 cah, repeated five or six times in a descending scale ; and at the last note it generally 



t P.S. (April 7). A young male Rifle-bird (Ptilorhis paradisea) now living in the 

 Society's Gardens has, it is interesting to observe, its mouth and tongue similarly 

 brightly coloured, though of a lemon-yellow colour instead of green. 



