PTILORIS PARADISEUS. 



PARADISE RIFLE-BIRD. 



PTILORIS PARADISEUS, Swain. Zool. Journ. vol. i. p. 481.— Gray, Gen. Birds, vol. i. p. 94.— Cab. Mus. Hem. Theil i. p. 214.— Reich. Hand. 



der spec. Orn. p. 328.— Gould, Birds of Austr. vol. iv. pi. 100.— Id. Hand-book of Birds Austr.vol. i. p. 591.— Gray, Hand-list of Birds, 

 part i. p. 105. sp. 1 271.— Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1871) p. 582. -Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. (1850) p. 412. sp. 1.— Less. Ois. Parad. (1835) 

 Syn. p. 25. sp. 1.— Id. Hist. Nat. p. 213, pis. 29 & 30 



EPIMACHUS BRISBANI, Wils. 111. of Zool. pi. 9.— Less. Man. Ornith. t. ii. p. 6, 320. 



EPIMACHUS REGIUS, Less. Zool. Voy. Coquille, pi. 28.— Id. Cent. Zool. pi. 3. 



EPIMACHUS PARADISEUS, Schleg. Mus. Pays-Bas (1867), p. 97.— Id. Journ. fur Ornith. (1861) p. 386. 

 Hab. South-eastern Australia (Gould). 



The Rifle-birds are noted for their soft velvety plumage, brilliant breast-shields, and two central tail-feathers, 

 which shine with a metallic lustre almost impossible to imitate. The present species (one of the most beautiful 

 of the genus) is restricted to the south-eastern part of Australia, where it takes the place of the P. Alberti, 

 which is met with in the vicinity of Cape York. These species belong to the long-biUed group of Paradise- 

 birds ; and their habits resemble somewhat those of the Creepers, such as alighting upon and running up 

 the trunks of trees. Mr. Gould says that "hitherto this magnificent bird has only been discovered in the 

 brushes of the south-eastern portion of Australia ; so limited, in fact, does its range of habitat seem to be, 

 that the river Hunter to the southward and Moreton Bay to the eastward may be considered its natural 

 boundaries in either direction. I have been informed by several persons who have seen it in its native wilds 

 that it possesses many habits in common with the Climacteres, and that it ascends the upright boles of trees 

 precisely after the manner of those birds. It was a source of regret to me that I had no opportunity of 

 verifying these assertions; but an examination of the structure of the bird induces me to believe that such is 

 the case. That its powers of flight are very limited is certain, from the shortness and peculiarly truncate form 

 of the wing; and this mode of progression is doubtless seldom resorted to further than to transport it from 

 tree to tree or from one part of the forest to another. That it is stationary and breeds in South-eastern 

 Australia is evident from the numerous specimens of aU ages that have been sent from thence to Europe." 



Mr. F. Strange sent Mr. Gould the following note on the habits of this species, which is published in the 

 'Hand-book to the Birds of Australia': — "The principal resort of the Rifle-bird is among the large cedar-brushes 

 that skirt the mountains and creeks of the Manning, Hastings, MacLeay, Bellenger, Clarence, and Richmond 

 rivers ; and there, during the pairing-months of November and December, the male bird is easily found. At 

 that time of the year, as soon as the sun's rays gild the tops of the trees, up goes the Rifle-bird from the 

 thickets below to the higher branches of the pines (Araucaria Macleayana), which there abound. It always 

 affects a situation where three or four of these trees occur about two hundred yards apart ; and there the 

 morning is spent in short flights from tree to tree, in sunning and preening its feathers, and in uttering its 

 song each time it leaves one tree for another. The sound emitted resembles a prolonged utterance of the 

 word 'Yass,' by which the bird is known to the natives of the Richmond river. In passing from tree to 

 tree, it also makes an extraordinary noise resembling the shaking of a piece of new stiff silk. After 10 a.m. 

 it descends lower down, and then mostly resorts to the thick limb of a cedar tree (Cedrela australis), and 

 there continues to utter its cry of Yass at intervals of two minutes' duration. At this time, owing to the 

 thickness of the limb and the closeness with which the birds keep to it, it is very difficult of detection ; wait 

 with patience, however, and you will soon see him, with wings extended and his head thrown on his back, whirling 

 round and round, first one way and then another." 



M. Jules P. Verreaux kindly sends me the following interesting account of this species : — " The Ptiloris paradiseus, 

 which was first made known to us by Swainson, and of which Lesson and Gould have given excellent figures 

 and some account of its habits, has been, during my long residence in Australia, one of the species I have 

 particularly observed; and, thanks to the opportunities granted me, I am able to supply some new facts regarding 



