SEMIOPTERA WALLACII. 



It continually utters a harsh croaking cry, something between that of Paradisea apoda and the more musical cry of 

 Cicinnurus regius. The males, at short intervals, open and flutter their wings, erect the long shoulder-feathers, and 

 expand the elegant shields on each side of the breast. Like the other Birds of Paradise, the females and young 

 males far outnumber the fully plumaged birds, which renders it probable that the extraordinary accessory plumes 

 are not fully developed until the second or third year. The bird seems to feed principally upon fruit, but it 

 probably takes insects occasionally. The iris is of a deep olive, the bill horny olive, the feet orange, and the claws 

 horny. I have now obtained a few examples of apparently the same bird from Gilolo ; but in these the crown is 

 of a more decided violet hue, and the plumes of the breast are much larger." Regarding these Gilolo or Halmahera 

 (as it is also called) specimens, Mr. Gray, in his list of the birds procured by Mr. Wallace, published in the 

 ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society ' for 1860, page 355, says " that they cannot be considered as more than 

 a local variety" — in which opinion I fully agree, and do not deem them in any way entitled to specific distinction. 



The reduced figure of the male in the Plate was taken from a Gilolo specimen ; so that it may be easily seen 

 how very unimportant are its variations from the Batchian form, represented by the life-size figure. 



Male. — Upper part of head and occiput rich violet ; feathers extending over the bill for half its length, hiding the 

 nostrils, short, upright, yellowish in colour ; back very dark brown ; rump hghter brown ; primaries brownish 

 white ; secondaries light brown ; from each shoulder spring two lengthened white feathers, bare of webs at the 

 base, widening as they approach the tip, capable of being erected above the wing ; upper part of throat dark 

 brown, with a slight greenish reflection in the centre ; upper portion of breast brilliant grass green, the feathers 

 extending on each side into greatly lengthened plumes, elevated or depressed at the will of the bird. Beneath this 

 breast-shield the feathers are tipped with the same lustrous green ; but the light buff of the base is visible in places, 

 so that the green is not in a solid mass as on the upper part of the breast; rest of underparts very dark brown 

 having a greenish tinge on the belly ; tad very light brown, shafts white, as are also those of the primaries and 

 secondaries ; bill horn-colour ; feet and tarsi flesh-colour. Specimens from Halmahera have the violet of the crown 

 darker and more restricted, the side plumes longer, and the lower part of the breast slightly more green ; the 

 feathers do not extend quite so far over the biU. They cannot be regarded as any thing but a mere local form, in 

 no way entitled to be considered specifically distinct. 



Female. — Fore part of head light rufous brown, rest of head light purplish brown ; upper parts and wings 

 pale brown, becoming hghter on the rump ; primaries very light brown, outer webs and tips nearly white ; 

 secondaries light brown ; entire underparts uniformly a pale brown, inclining to white upon the cheeks and upper 

 part of the throat ; tad light brown, shafts white ; bill horn-colour. Feet and tarsi flesh-colour. 



Young Male. — Similar in plumage to the female, some of the feathers on the throat and upper part of the breast 

 changing to a rich green, apparently by a gradual process and not by a moult. The two feathers from the 

 shoulders quite short, light brown for three quarters of their length, the apical portion only light green, they bemg 

 also in process of change. 



The Plate contains life-size figures of the male and female from Batchian, with a reduced figure of a male 

 from Gilolo. 



