PTILORIS ALBERT! 



PRINCE ALBERT'S RIFLE-BIRD. 



PTILORIS MAGNIFICUS, Gould, Birds of Austr. Supp. pi. 



CRASPEDOPHORA MAGNIFICA, Gould, Handb. to Birds of Australia, vol. i. p. 595. sp. 365. 

 PTILORIS ALBERTI, Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1871) p. 583. 



Hab. Cape York, North-eastern Australia (Macgilhvray, Gould). 



This is the bird usually called magnificus by all authors who have had occasion to mention it. It is a native 

 of Australia, and is very abundant in certain parts of that great continent, particularly in the vicinity of Cape 

 York, whence large numbers have been sent to London in most perfect condition. Mr. Gould remarks that 

 "the researches of Mr. Macgilhvray and others enable me to state that it also inhabits the north-eastern portion 

 of Australia — a circumstance of no ordinary interest, since, besides adding another fine species to the already 

 rich fauna of that country, we know that our museums will ere long will be graced with fine and perfect 

 specimens in lieu of the mutilated skins hitherto procurable. We have abundant evidence of its being frequently 

 met with at Cape York, since nearly every officer of the ' Rattlesnake ' procured and brought home specimens 

 from that locality." Mr. Macgilhvray, who has given about all the information we have of this Rifle-bird, states 

 that it " inhabits the densest of the brushes in the neighbourhood of Cape York. The natives are familiar with 

 it under the name of ' Yagoonga ; ' the Darnley islanders also recognized a skin shown them, and described it to 

 be a native of Doivde, or the south coast of New Guinea, near Bristow Islands. Its cry is very striking. Upon 

 being imitated by man, which may be easily done, the male bird will answer. It consists of a loud whistle 

 resembling wheeoo, repeated three times and ending abruptly in a note like who-o-o. Both sexes utter the same 

 note ; but that of the male is much the loudest. Tire old males were generally seen about the tops of the 

 highest trees, where, if undisturbed, they would remain long enough to utter their loud cry two or three times 

 at intervals of from two to five minutes. If a female is near, the male frequently perches on a conspicuous 

 dead twig in a crouching attitude, rapidly opening and closing his wings, the feathers of which by their peculiar 

 form and texture produce a loud rustling noise, which in the comparative stillness of these solitudes may be 

 heard at the distance of a hundred yards, and may be faintly imitated by moving the feathers of a dried skin. 

 The full-plumaged males are much more shy than the females or immature birds. According to the testimony 

 of several of the Cape- York natives whom I questioned upon the subject, the C. magnified breeds in a hollow 

 tree and lays several white eggs. The ovary of a female shot in November, at the commencement of the rainy 

 season, contained a very large and nearly completely formed egg. 



" From the shyness of this Rifle-bird it is difficult to catch more than a passing glimpse of it in the dense 

 brushes which it inhabits ; I once, however, saw a female running up the trunk of a tree like a Creeper ; and 

 its stomach was afterwards found to be filled with insects only, chiefly ants ; while the stomach of a male, 

 shot about the same time, contained merely a few small round berries, the fruit of a tall tree, the botanical 

 name of which is unknown to me." 



Male. — Smaller than the P. magnificus ; top of head, occiput, centre of throat, and upper part of breast metallic 

 bluish green ; sides of head, neck, and upper parts velvety black, with a rich purple gloss ; primaries greenish 

 black ; a bright ohve-green line beneath the metallic shield of the breast ; rest of underparts dark olive-green, 

 changing upon the base of the flank-plumes to a light purple ; under tail-coverts black ; two central tail- 

 feathers shining metallic green ; remainder black, with green reflections on the outer webs ; bill and feet 

 slender, black. 



