DREPANORNIS ALBERTIS I, Sclater. 
D’Albertis’ Bird of Paradise. 
Drepanephorus albertisii, Sclater, Nature, viii. pp. 151, 195 (1873). 
Drepanornis albertisii , Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, pp. 557, 560, pi. xlvii. — Id. Nature, viii. p. 305, cum fig. 
(1873). — Elliot, Monogr. Parad. pi. 21 (1873). — Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 697.— Id. Ibis, 
1874, pp. 177, 187. — Finsch, J. f. 0. 1874, p. 54. — Meyer, t. c. p. 55. — Id. Zool. Gart. 1874, 
p. 116. — Schl. in Rosenb. Reist. naar Geelvinkb. p. 117, note (1875). — Beccari, Ann. Mus. Civic. 
Genov, vii. p. 711 (1875). — Gould, B. New Guinea, i. pi. xi. (1875). — Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. 
Genov, vii. pp. 785, 899 (1875) ; viii. p. 403 (1876) ; ix. p. 190 (1876) ; x. p. 154 (1877). — Sharpe, 
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. iii. p. 160 (1877). — D’Albert. Nuova Guinea, pp. 80, 582, cum tab. (1880). — 
Salvad. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii. p. 549 (1881). — Eudes-Deslongch. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 
Caen, i. p. 15 (1880). — Cory, Beautiful and Curious Birds, part vi. (1883). — Mussch. Dagboek, 
pp. 204, 235 (1883). — Guillem. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 649. — D’Hamonv. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 
1886, pp. 505, 509. — Salvad. Agg. Orn. Papuasia, ii. p. 155 (1890). — Sharpe, Bull. B. O. Club, iv. 
p. xii (1894). 
Epimachus wilhelmince, Meyer, Nat. Tijdschr. Neclerl. Inch 1873, p. 415. — Id. J. f. O. 1873, p. 405. — Finsch, 
J. f. O. 1874, p. 54. — Meyer, t. c. p. 55. — Id. Zool. Gart. 1874, p. 116. — Id. Sitz. k. Akacl. Wiss. 
Wien, lxix. p. 75, note (1874).— Sclater, Ibis, 1874, p. 186. — Meyer, Ibis, 1874, p. 303. 
Epimachus vethi, Rosenb. Zool. Gart. 1874, p. 8.— Id. Reist. naar Geelvinkb. p. 116, pi. xviii. (1873). — Id. 
Malay. Arch. pp. 552, 590 (1878-79). 
Epimachus albertisii, Rosenb. Mitth. orn. Yer. Wien, 1885, p. 54. 
This interesting species of Sickle-billed Bird of Paradise was described in 1873 by Dr. Sclater, from 
specimens procured in the Arfak Mountains by Signor D’Albertis. He proposed at first tbe name of 
Drepanephorus for tbe genus, but this, being found to be preoccupied, was changed into Drepanornis. 
Von Rosenberg bad seen a female bird two years previously in the collection of Mr. Renesse van 
Duivenbode, at Ternate, but tbe first specimens to be described were those obtained by D’Albertis. A few 
months afterwards tbe species was also described by Dr. A. B. Meyer ; since that date several specimens have 
reached Europe, and tbe bird is to be seen in several public and private museums. The species appears to 
be entirely confined to tbe Arfak Mountains in North-western New Guinea, being replaced in South-eastern 
New Guinea by D. ceninicauda. Besides tbe specimens procured by D’Albertis at Hatam, it has also been 
obtained at Andai by Dr. Beccari and the hunters employed by tbe late Mr. Bruijn. 
D’Albertis states that tbe species is very rare near Hatam, and many of tbe natives did not know it, but 
others called it ‘ Quarua.’ The food of the species doubtless consists of berries and insects, though the 
specimens procured by D’Albertis had nothing in their stomachs excepting clean water. 
Dr. Beccari writes : — 
“ Drepanornis is well known to the Arfaks under tbe name of ‘ Sagroja ’ ; it is not very rare, but difficult 
to find, because, as the hunters assure me, it has no peculiar cry, so that it is only met with by chance. Its 
inconspicuous colour makes it difficult to see. It is partial to places near recent clearings from 3000 to 5000 
feet, as it has tbe habit of flying to dead trees and fallen trunks, about which it finds insects which form its 
food. In the stomachs of the two specimens which I dissected I found only insects of various orders, ants 
predominating, and the larvae of a lepidopterous insect.” 
Adult male. General colour above brown, tbe rump tawny chestnut, shading into fawn-colour on the upper 
tail-coverts, the tail being uniform fawn-colour; wing-coverts chestnut-brown, tbe rest of tbe wing being 
paler and more tawny brown, tbe quills blackish brown on the inner webs, tbe innermost secondaries pale 
tawny brown like the back ; crown of bead rich brown with a purple gloss ; sides of bead bare, with a line 
of brown feathers drawn across the ear-coverts ; lores and feathers in front of the eye and cheeks velvety 
brown glossed with purple ; throat rich purplish brown ; rest of the under surface of body chocolate-brown, 
with a lilac gloss on the breast and abdomen ; across the lower breast a bar of dull green ; from tbe sides 
of tbe chest springs a tuft of fine purple feathers, brown at tbe base and tip ; from tbe sides of tbe breast 
another long tuft of plumes, chocolate-brown glossed w 7 ith lilac, each feather tipped with a bar of 
amethystine purple; under wing-coverts brown, the innermost of tbe greater series whitish at tbe tip; quills 
