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- 

 radisecB are found are connected by banks of soundings to the main- 

 land of New Guinea. The Jmndred-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 K4 

 Ceram, &c., are separated from it by deep sea, and on them no Pa- 

 radisece 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 coimtiy 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 of Chl,amydera, or Bower-Bird. 

 By John Gould, 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. Zool. Soc— 1862, No, XI. 



