1862.] MR. GOULD ON A NEW CHLAMYDERA. 161 
wanting only in Aru, Salwatty, and Waigiou. The next most widely 
spread species is P. magnifica, occurring in two islands (Salwatty and 
Mysol) as well as on the mainland. The other species are all found 
on the mainland only—with the exception of P. apoda (probably re- 
stricted to Aru), and P. rubra, which, being certainly confined to the 
small island of Waigiou, offers the most restricted range of the whole 
family. 
It is interesting to remark that all the islands on which true Pa- 
radisee are found are connected by banks of soundings to the main- 
land of New Guinea. The hundred-fathom line includes the islands 
of Aru, Mysol, Waigiou, and Jobie, which have probably been, at no 
distant geological period, connected with New Guinea; while Ké, 
Ceram, &c., are separated from it by deep sea, and on them no Pa- 
radisee exist. 
The island of Gilolo, on which the genus Semioptera occurs, ex- 
tends towards Waigiou, and has the island of Guebe exactly between 
the two, suggesting the probability of a connexion there; but the 
depth of the intervening sea is unknown. 
It may be considered as certain that every species of Paradise Bird 
yet obtained from the natives has come from the north peninsula of 
New Guinea, that being the part most frequented by the Malay 
traders. The vast extent of country east of long. 136° is quite un- 
known; but there can be little doubt that it contains other and 
perhaps yet more wonderful forms of this beautiful group of birds. 
If we look round the whole circumference of the globe, we shall be 
unable to find a region at once so promising to the naturalist and so 
absolutely a ‘ terra incognita”’ as this great tropical land ; and it is to 
be hoped that our explorers and naturalists may soon be induced to 
direct their attention to this hitherto neglected country. 
2. On a New Species or CHLAMYDERA, OR BoweER-Birp. 
By Joun Goutp, Esa., F.R.S., etc. 
I am indebted to the researches of F. T. Gregory, Esq., the West 
Australian explorer, for a knowledge of a new species of this group 
of birds, which are rendered remarkable by their habit of construct- 
ing bowers or playing-places. It was collected by Mr. Gregory in 
North-western Australia, and is doubtless the species which con- 
structs the bowers described by Captain (now Sir George) Grey in the 
first volume of his ‘ Travels,’ pp. 196 and 245, where he states that 
on gaining the summit of one of the sandstone ranges forming the 
watershed of the streams flowing into the Glenelg and Prince Re- 
gent’s Rivers, “we fell in with a very remarkable nest, or what 
appeared to me to be such. We had previously seen several of them, 
and they had always afforded us food for conjecture as to the agent 
and purpose of such singular structures.”’ This “ very curious sort 
of nest, which was frequently found by myself and other individuals 
of the party, not only along the sea-shore, but in some instances at 
a distance of six or seven miles from it, I once conceived must have 
Proc. Zoou. Soc.—1862, No. XI. 
