652 DR. F. H. H. 6UILLEMARD ON BIRDS COLLECTED [JuilC 16, 



the mantle has become more yellow, the chestnut on the throat and 

 breast has extended, and median rectrices, which are still slightly 

 webbed at the tip, protrude some six inches beyond the other 

 feathers. At a still further advanced stage the yellow mantle is 

 complete, the entire breast is chestnut, and the abdomen is becoming 

 so, the wire-like tail-feathers have reached their extreme length, and 

 nothing is therefore wanting to complete the full plumage except the 

 chestnut abdomen and the long subalar plumes, of which latter 

 there is as yet no trace. 



I am rather inclined to the belief that the bird remains for some 

 time in this half-perfect plumage. We were fortunate enough in 

 our expedition to New Guinea to obtain no less than four living 

 examples of this species, three of which are at the present moment 

 in the Gardens of this Society. When first obtained, in the month 

 of December, they were in the dress I have just described, and 

 remairred thus for some two or three months. The yellow feathers 

 of the head then fell off in two of the four, the birds Ijecoming quite 

 bald in patclies, leaving nothing but the black skin showing. At 

 the same time the subalar tufts began to appear. New feathers 

 rapidly appeared on the head ; they were almost white at first, but 

 soon assumed the yellow shade. The subalar tufts grew quickly, 

 and were tolerably long within three weeks of their first apjiearance. 

 The food given to the birds while on board consisted of boiled 

 rice, banana, papaw fruit, cockroaches, and chopped egg. 



We obtained P. minor from the mainland of New Guinea, from 

 Mysol, and from Join. When in Salwatti I made many inquiries 

 for it, but we did not obtain it, and I was assured that it did not 

 exist on the island. Its abund.ince in Jobi was wonderful. In 

 the neighbourhood of Ansus, at an altitude of about 1000 feet or 

 less, we obtained no less than fifty-one examples in five days. 

 The known segregation of the older males at certain (or all ?) 

 periods of the year partly explains the great preponderance of that 

 sex in the present series. Immature males are also very common, 

 but it is difficult to get females, and there is no doubt a considerable 

 actual preponderance in numbers in favour of the male sex. 



159. Paradisea apoda, Linn. 



Paradisea apoda, Salvad. op. cit. vol. ii. p. 594. 



as. (S . (Native skins.) Aru. 



t. 5 • Wanumbai, Aru. 



During our stay in the Aru Islands, we were only able to procure 

 a solitary individual of this sjiecies. At the end of the month of 

 December, we were informed by natives and others that the males 

 were not in plumage, and would not assume the adult dress until 

 April. Mr. Wallace's experience also bears this out, and the males 

 in full plumage in Salvadori's collection were shot during the months 

 of April, May, and June only. It is curious therefore to note that 

 the closely ahied P. minor appears to remain in plumage the whole 

 year round. 



It seems that P. apoda is decreasing in numbers in the Arus, or at 



