PTILORIS PARADISEUS, Swainson. 

 New Holland Ptiloris. 



PLATE XLIII. Male.— PLATE XLIV. Female. 



Mas. — P. supra nitide atro-purpureus, infra nitide atro-viridis ; vertice, jugulo rec- 

 tricibusque mediis splendide coeruleo-viridibus. 



Fcem. — Supra brunescente, striga oculari alba ; subtus flavescente-albus lunulis ni- 

 gris. 



Ptiloris paradiseus, Swains. Zool. Journ. i. p. 481. 



Epimachus Brisbanii, Brisbane's Promerops, Wilson's Illust. of Zool. PI. XI. 



W e met with both sexes of this splendid species in a considerable collec- 

 tion of skins lately brought to Edinburgh by one of the Australian Com- 

 pany's ships, and which has fortunately come into our possession. The 

 first public notice of it is by Mr Swainson in the Zoological Journal. 

 That ornithologist places it among the Melliphagidce, where it will form 

 the passage to the adjoining group, the Paradiseidce on the one hand, and 

 the Promeropida on the other, and certainly fills up a blank wanting be- 

 fore the discovery of this species. It also supplies a prototype for the 

 above-mentioned groups in its native country, and the only form yet dis- 

 covered there, which bears the slightest resemblance to them. 



The length of the male, including the bill, is twelve inches. This is ra- 

 ther less than the dimensions given by Mr Swainson ; but there is no 

 doubt a variation of size in this species, as well as in most others. The 

 bill is hooked, resembling some of the Promeropidce, about two inches and 

 a quarter in length, the edges of the upper mandible near the tip unequal 

 and notched : the nostrils are placed at the base, and in this sex are nearly 

 concealed by the thick feathers on the forehead. The crown of the head 

 is covered with scaly feathers, of a deep metallic bluish-green, and in some 

 fights glossed with purple. The chin, cheeks, and all the upper parts, are 

 deep purplish-red, in some lights appearing entirely black, and in others 

 nearly of a fine carmine : on the cheeks and chin the feathers are thick, 

 short and soft, and glossed in most lights with violet. On the front of 

 the neck there is a triangular patch extending as far as the upper part of 



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