656 DR. F. H. H. GUILLEMARD ON BIRDS COLLECTED [June 16, 



from youth to adult age are well exemplified. The young male is at 

 first not to be distinguished from the female, but after a time the 

 first signs of the full plumage become evident in the case of the 

 former, either by the appearance of a few scattered red feathers on 

 the head and neclc, or by the gradual reddening of the external surface 

 of the ^vings. At the same time the median rectrices begin to 

 elongate. At first l)rown, they soon acquire a red tinge, and, when 

 an inch or two longer than the others, become eroded on the inner 

 web, and somewhat curved, so that the feather is sickle-shaped. 

 This curvature becomes more pronounced, ultimately assuming the 

 shape of the perfect feather, though the colour of the web still 

 remains brown. The shaft then becomes completely denuded of 

 feather, and the terminal disk acquires the brilliant metalhc green 

 colouring of the perfect plume. 



This development has gone on contemporaneously with the change 

 in the general plumage. The whole of the back and upper surface 

 having become more or less red in patches, the colour being assumed 

 gradually by each feather, and not by moult, each feather becoming 

 at first yellowish, then red, — a change is seen in the under surface, the 

 feathers of the abdomen turning gradually white, while simulta- 

 neously signs of the metallic green pectoral band appear. Simul- 

 taneously also, the subalar plumes commence to grow, a process 

 which in the genus Paradisea is the final stage towards the com- 

 pletion of the full plumage. They are at first ruddy, barred with 

 greyish brown, while the tips, which are destined later to become 

 metallic green, are buff. The final change consists in the assump- 

 tion of the colour in the tips. 



It is impossible to examine a large series of C. regius, such as the 

 above, without noticing certain differences with regard to locality, 

 which, though slight, appear to be tolerably constant. Taking 

 the Mysol examples, which seem to be possessed of no marked cha- 

 racteristics, as a standard, the birds from Aru, Jobi, and the Arfak 

 region present the most noteworthy peculiarities. They may be 

 shortly summarized as follows : — 



Aru. Birds large ; very yellow on the head ; supraocular spot 



large ; tails long ; disks small. Tendency to a bronze tint 



on the metallic green. 

 Jobi. Beak shorter, the apex projecting but a short distance 



beyond the nasal tufts. Supraocular spot small. Violet 



tinge of throat strongly marked. 

 Arfak. Birds small. Tail very short ; disks large. 



A female from Jobi island is characterized by being of a dark 

 mouse-brown on the back and head. 



Although we never obtained C. regius in Batanta, T on one 

 occasion doubtfully, and on another certainly, saw it at the south- 

 east end of that island. But lor this, I should have had great doubts 

 of its existence in that locality. 



