560 ^'^^ BIltDS OF PARADISE, [cb. xmtiii. 



this, and forming a band about one-third of an inch be- 

 yond it, is a second mantle of rich, glossy, reddiah-browu 

 leathers. The rest of the back is orange-brown, the tail- 

 coverts and tail dark bronzy, the wings light orange-buff. 

 The whole under surface is covered with an abundance of 

 plumage sprui^^g from the margins of the breast^ and 

 of a rich deep green colour, with changeable hues of 

 purple. Down the middle of the breast is a Ijroad band 

 of scaly plumes of the same colour, while the chin and 

 throat are of a rich metallic bronze. From the middle of 

 the tail spring two narrow feathers of a rich steel blue, 

 and about ten inclies long. These are webbed on the 

 inner side only, and curve outward, so as to form a double 

 circle. 



Frcim what we know of the habits of allied species, we 

 may be sure that tlie greatly developed plumage of this 

 biixl is erected and displayed in some remarkable manner. 

 The mass of feathera on the under snrface are probably 

 expanded into a liemisphere, while the beautiful yellow 

 mantle is no doubt elevated so as to give the bird a 

 very different appearance from that which it presents 

 in the dried and flattened skins of the natives, tln:ough 

 which alone it is at pi*esent known. The feet appear to 

 be dark blue. 



lliis rare and elegant little bird is found only on the 

 mainland of New Guinea, and in the island of Myaol. 



A still more rare and beautiful species than the last ia 

 the Diphyllodes wilsoni, descriljed by Mr. Cassin from a 

 native skin in the rich museum of Philadelphia, The 

 same bird was afterwards naitied •* Diphyllodes respublica" 

 by Prince Buonaparte, and still later, *' SchlegeOa calva," 

 by Dr. Bernstein, who was so fortunate as to obtain fresh 

 specimens in WaigioiL 



In this species the upper mantle is sulphur yellow, the 

 lower one and the wings pure red, the breast plumes 

 dark green, and the lengthened middle tail feathers much 

 shorter than in the allied species. The most curious 

 difference is, however, that the top of the head is bald, 

 the bare skin being of a rich cobalt blue, crossed by 

 several lines of black velvety feathers. 



