MANUCODIA KERAUDRENI. 



KERAUDREFS MANUCODE. 



PHONYGAMA KERAUDRENI, Less. Man. d'Orn. (1828) torn. i. p. 141.— Id. Voy. Coquille (1826), texte, vol. i. p. 636.— Gray, Gen. of Birds 



(1845), vol. ii. p. 303. sp. 2.— Less. Traite d'Ornith. (1831) p. 344. sp. 3.— Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. (1850) p. 368 Rosenb. Journ. fur 



Oniith. (1864) p. 123. 



BARITA KERAUDRENI, Less. Voy. Coquille, Atlas, t. 13. 



MANUCODIA KERAUDRENI, Gray, Hand-1. Birds, part ii. (1870) p. 17. sp. 6258.— Id. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1859) p. 158. sp. 50, (1861) p. 



436.— Gould, B. Austr., Suppl. pi. 

 CHALYBEUS CORNUTUS, Cuv. Regn. Anim. (1829) vol. i. p. 354— Gould, Voy: Rattlesnake, vol. ii. p. 357. 

 CHALYBEUS KERAUDRENI, Schleg. Mus. Pays-Bas (1867), p. 120. 

 PHONYGAMA LESSONIA, Swains. Class. Birds, vol. ii. p. 264. 



MANUCODIA GOULDI, G. R. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1859) p. 158, note.-Gould, Hand-b. Birds Austr. vol. i. p. 236. Gray, Hand-1. Birds, 

 part. ii. (1870) p. 17. sp. 6259. 



Hab. New Guinea, Australia. 



This singular bird was first described by Lesson, wbo procured it in New Guinea during the voyage of tbe 

 ' Coquille ; ' and [it was figured and described in the splendid work published on the return of that expedition. It 

 is remarkable, among other characters, for the plumes which spring in tufts from each side of the head, forming 

 a kind of double demi-crest. But the most extraordinary part of the bird's organization is the trachea, or wind- 

 pipe, which is seventeen inches and a half in length, and formed of a hundred to a hundred and twenty 

 cartilaginous rings. " On leaving the lungs it is directed first to the sternum, upon the outer edge of which 

 it is bent to descend outwardly, and back upon the abdomen above the muscles which constitute this part, and 

 under the teguments which invest the skin. There the tracheal artery turns, ascends for about an inch, 

 immediately returns, forming a little handle ] -and the tube, embracing the preceding part, redescends and forms 

 in winding again an entire circle, which thus unites itself to the external edge of the first circle, forming upon 

 the soft parts of the abdomen a thick platform, composed of three back-turns of the trachea and reunited by the 

 membranous parts. The air-tube continues to ascend upon the sternum, the length of the neck uniting as usual 

 to the branches of the os hyoides at the root of the tongue. The conformation of this organ, of which we are 

 unacquainted with any analogue among birds, if we except something similar in the Swan and Iiocco, permits 

 the Phonygame to modulate its notes, as may be done with the French horn ; also this bird is gifted with a 

 song essentially musical. The notes that the P. heraudreni raises in the depths of the forests of New Guinea 

 prevent it from being confounded with any other species of bird. They are clear, distinct, and sonorous, and pass 

 successively through nearly all the notes of the gamut; our sailors called it the Whistling bird. But, suspicious 

 and rare, we were only able to procure two individuals of this bird, in the great trees which border the harbour 

 of Dorey, where we were anchored. The Papous of Dorey called it mousineme, and those of Rony issape." 



The Australian form of this species was separated by Mr. G. R. Gray, and the name of M. gouldi given 

 to it, on account of a slight difference in the hue of the plumage — the New-Guinea bird having more of a 

 purple reflection, while the Australian is inclined to a greenish hue. I do not believe that there is more than 

 one species ; and I think that when we become better acquainted both with the species and the countries it 

 inhabits, we shall find the two styles ranging into one another. 



As the M. heraudreni is a species of considerable rarity, nothing is known of its economy and habits. 



General colour green, with purple reflections. Feathers of the head short and compressed as in the members 

 of the genus Paradisea. On either side of the occiput spring two slender tufts of lengthened feathers, of the 

 same colour as the head. Feathers of the neck and throat greatly lengthened, of a lanceolate form, descending over 

 the upper part of the back and breast. Wings rich purple, primaries purplish brown. Tail blue, with a beautiful 

 purple gloss. Feet and bill black. 



