to Dr. Beccari by native hunters, it builds a nest on a branch of a tree. Macgillivray, on the contrary, heard 
from the natives of Cape York that the Rifle-bird of that country laid white eggs, which were placed in the 
hole of a tree. Count Salvadori inclines to the opinion that the latter mode of nidification is more probably 
the correct one ; but my own opinion is that, when we obtain reliable information about the breeding- 
habits of the genus Ptilorhis, the species will he found to place their nests in the open and on the branches of 
trees, as Beccari’s hunters have stated. 
Signor D’ Albertis states that in its habits the Rifle-bird is very shy, and it is impossible to hunt it ; but by 
imitating its cry, which consists of three distinct notes — ooolh , oooih, oooili — it may be brought within range 
of its pursuer, for the bird, overcome with curiosity to find out who is daring to try and charm his female, 
comes at last to the outside of the trees, craning his neck in all directions on the look-out for the intruder, 
when of course he pays the penalty for his curiosity and jealousy. 
According to Signor D’ Albertis the food of the present species consists of seeds and fruits as well as 
insects. 
The bird named Ptilorhis wilsoni by Dr. Ogden, and figured in the * Proceedings ’ of the Academy of 
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, seems to be a made-up specimen, and the differences founded on the 
structure of the legs cannot he of any value, as it has since been found that they belong to some other bird. 
Count Salvadori thinks that otherwise it may he a representative of the large race from Triton Bay which 
Schlegel called Paradisea magnified major. Salvadori also notes a large specimen from Sorong. 
Adult male. General colour above velvety black with purplish reflections, the wing-coverts like the hack, 
but not so glossy ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills black, externally glossed with steel-green, the 
innermost secondaries velvety black like the back ; centre tail-feathers metallic steel-green, the remainder 
velvety blue-black, with a steel-green lustre on the outer edges of some of them ; head and nape metallic 
green ; lores, eyebrows, sides of face, cheeks, ear-coverts, and throat black, with a purple gloss ; the centre of 
the throat metallic steel-green, widening out into a prsepectoral shield, which shows purplish reflections under 
certain lights, and is followed by a band of velvety black like the sides of the neck ; this band is again 
followed by a band of oily green across the upper breast ; remainder of under surface of body dark purple ; 
the abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts black, as well as the long flank-plumes ; axillaries and under wing- 
coverts velvety black with a steel-blue gloss : “ bill black ; feet dull lead-colour” {D' Albertis) ; “ iris nearly 
black ; inside of mouth greenish yellow ; bare space round eye black ” {Beccari). Total length 13‘5 inches, 
culmen 23, wing 7 3, tail 4*0, tarsus T6. 
Adult female. Above cinnamon-rufous, the wings and tail entirely of the same colour as the back, the 
inner webs browner ; over the eye a narrow streak of white ; lores and sides of face dusky brown, the 
former washed with rufous ; the ear-coverts minutely streaked with rufous along the shafts of the feathers ; 
cheeks white, the feathers somewhat scaly in appearance ; a malar streak of dark brown on each side of the 
throat ; throat white, slightly mottled with minute dusky cross markings ; rest of under surface of body dull 
white, very numerously and thickly barred across with dusky blackish. Total length 12 inches, culmen T95, 
wing 6’6, tail 4‘45, tarsus T65. 
Young male. Similar to the adult female, but of a deeper rufous, the head and neck rather dingier than 
the back ; a tolerably well-defined white eyebrow, the feathers edged with brown ; lores and ear-coverts 
dusky chocolate-brown, with a very few ochraceous shaft-streaks ; under surface of body dirty white, very 
thickly barred across with black ; the flank-plumes elongated, but barred exactly like the breast ; from the 
base of the lower mandible a malar streak of dusky black, continued down the sides of the throat on to the 
sides of the chest. Total length 145 inches, culmen 2‘3, wing 695, tail 4 9, tarsus 1*65. 
Count Salvadori has described some of the changes by which the young males don the plumage of the 
adult, and believes that this is effected by a change of colouring in the feather itself rather than by a moult. 
Probably a partial moult also takes place, as is the case with Ptilorhis paradisea. 
The descriptions are taken from examples in the British Museum, which also contains the specimens figured 
in the Plate. The latter were formerly in the Gould Collection. 
