INTRODUCTION. 



SIMILARITIES. 



Paradisea papuana. Sericulus melinus. Ptilonorhynchus violaceus. 



Alike in all three species. 



Skull : 



General contour of occiput 

 Temporal groove .... 

 Mandible, angle &c. 



Mandible in its posterior interosseous space 



Proportions of bill 

 Sternum and Shoulder-girdle : 



Notch of sternum deeply cleft. Proportionally less so in 8- melinus and P. violaceus. 



Excepting this, the sternum and shoulder-girdle in all three species have a very close resemblance. 

 Pelvis : 



Very nearly alike ; but in S. melinus and P. violaceus the pubes are wider and larger. 

 Tarsus : 



Has a well-marked anterior upper grooving. Less. Intermediate between the other two. 



DISTINCTIONS in SKULL. 

 Nasal orifices round, basal. Elongate-oval. ,, ,, 



Mandible wider at base or root than maxillaries. Narrower. „ 

 Rudimentary basipterygoids present. Totally wanting. ,, 



The general construction of the base of the skulls is of a similar type, excepting the 

 Vomer, which is cleft posteriorly. Partially or not cleft. Intermediate between the other two. 



It will thus be seen from the above comparisons, that, with the exception of the skull, there is no difference 

 of any consequence exhibited in the osteological structures of the three species, and even in the skull itself the 

 chief point is that the vomer of Paradisea is cleft, while that of the other two are only partially so ; but this 

 fact in itself is not sufficient to exclude the Bower-birds from the family Paradiseidae, since it is not by any 

 means a constant character ; for some Passeres have a cleft vomer and others have not. The anterior upper grooving 

 in the tarsus of Paradisea is strongly marked, but hardly perceptible in Sericulus. In Ptilonorhynchus, however, 

 it is clearly present, though not to so great an extent as in Paradisea, thus appearing to be an intermediate 

 state, and connecting the two other genera. The Regent birds and Bower-birds are, then, closely connected 

 both in their osteological structure and economy ; and in whatever family the one is placed • the other must 

 of necessity go also ; and as the first in its plumage (which is essentially of the character of that of the true 

 Birds of Paradise) and also in its skeletal structure shows a close affinity to Paradisea, it follows that its natural 

 position would be in the same family as the species of that genus. 



In the economy of the members of the true Birds of Paradise and the Bower-birds there is a similarity of 

 habit that should not be passed over without notice ; this is, the custom of each to indulge in eccentric movements 

 at certain periods of the year. Thus, as is well known^ the Bower-birds disport themselves in their slender 

 structures ; and Mr. Wallace has also shown us how the Paradisea apoda have their " sacaleli " or dancing parties 

 in the trees, when the males assume all kinds of strange positions, and elevate and display their plumes in an 

 extraordinary way. It is not at all improbable that all the members of this family possessed of unusual plumage 

 have also methods of exhibiting the beauties of their dress in a like extravagant manner. 



It is very evident that the true position of the Paracliseidse, in the natural system, is just before the Corvidae ; 

 and from the members possessing various and important characters by which they differ altogether from the species 

 composing that group, I would raise them to the rank of an independent family, and not, as Mr. Blyth has done, 

 consider them only a subfamily of the CroAVS. Like those of many other families of birds, the members of the 

 present one, although connected as I have shown by many prominent and peculiar features, do also possess certain 

 characters that would seem to show an inclination to species belonging to other groups. Thus Seleucides alba would 

 appear to incline towards Irrisor, their elongate preemaxillee being not unhke, though differing materially at the 



