ASTRAPI A NIGRA (Gm.). 
Gorg-eted Bird of Paradise. 
Gorget Paradise Bird, Lath. Inch Ora. i. p. 478, pi. 20 (1782). 
Paradisea nigra, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 401 (1788). — Schl. J. f. O. 1861, p. 386.- Id. Dierent. p. 174 (18/2, cum 
fig-)- 
Paradisea gularis, Lath. Ind. Ora. i. p. 196 (1790). — Shaw, Gen. Zool. vii. p. 501, pis. 69, / 0(1809). 
Le Ham se- col dor 6 , Audeb. et Yieill. Ois. Dor. ii. p. 22, pis. 8, 9 (1802). 
L’ Oiseau de Paradis a gorge d’or, Sonnini, ed. Buffon, ix. p. 23 (1806). 
La Pie de Paradis, ou V Incomparable, Levaill. Hist. Nat. Ois. Parad. i. pis. 20, 22 (1806). 
Astrapia gularis, Yieill. N. Diet. d’Hist. Nat. iii. p. 37 (1816).— Id. Gal. Ois. i. p. 169, pi. 107 (1825).— Less. Man. 
d’Orn. i. p. 397 (1828).— Id. Traite d’Orn. p. 388 (1831).— Id. Ois. Parad. Syn. p. 18 (1835).— Id. 
Hist. Nat. p. 106, pis. 21-23 (1835).— Swains. Classif. B. ii. p. 98 (1837).— Rosenb. Nat. Tijdschr. 
Nederl. Ind. xxv. p. 247 (1863). — Id. J. f. O. 1864, p. 131.— Id. Reist. naar Geelvinkb. pp. 102, 111 
(1875).— Beccari, Ann. Mus. Gen. vii. p. 711 (1875).— Salvad. t. c. p. 899.— Scl. Ibis, 1876, p. 249.— 
Rosenb. Malay. Arch. p. 558 (1879). 
Merle de la Nouvelle Guinee, Cuv. Regn. An. i. p. 355 (1817). 
Lamprotornis gularis, Temm. Man. d’Orn. i. p. lvi (1820). — Ranz. Elem. di Zool. iii. pt. 4, p. 81, t. xvi. fig. 1 
(1822).— Wagl. Syst. Av. Paradisea, sp. 1 (1827). 
Astrapia nigra, Steph. in Shaw’s Gen. Zool. xiv. pt. 2, p. 75 (1826). — Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 263 (1846). Bp. Consp. Av- 
i. p. 414 (1850).— Scl. Journ. Linn. Soc. ii. p. 164 (1858).— Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 194— Id. Cat. B. New 
Guin. pp. 36, 59 (1859).— Id. P. Z. S. 1861, p. 436.— Wall. P. Z. S. 1862, p. 154.— Finsch, Neu-Guin. 
p. 173 (1865).— Wail. Malay Arch. ii. p. 157 (1869).— Elliot, Mon. Parad. pi. ix. (1873).— Salvad. 
Ann. Mus. Genov, vii. p. 782 (1875), ix. p. 190 (1876).— Sharpe, Cat. B- Brit. Mus. iii. p. 165 
(1877). — Gould, B. New Guinea, i. pi. 17 (1878). — Eudes-Deslongch. Ann. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Caen, 
i. p. 18 (1880).— Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, etc. ii. p. 535 (1881).— Cory, Beautiful and Curious Birds, 
part iv. (1882). — Musschenbr. Dagboek, pp. 194,227 (1883). — Rosenb. Mitth. orn. Ver. Wien, 1888, 
p. 40. — Guillem. P. Z. S. 1885, p. 648. — DTIamonv. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, xi. p. 509 (1886). — Salvad. 
Agg. Orn. Papuasia, ii. p. 151 (1890). 
Epimachus niger, Schl. Mus. Pays-Bas, Coraces, p. 94 (1867). — Id. Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierk. iv. pp. 17, 49 (1871). 
Like most of the genera of the Paradiseidce, this extraordinary bird stands apart from the others, and 
presents us with characters which are found in no other genus of this wonderful family. The long tail has 
suggested to many ornithologists that the species must be allied to the long-tailed Ephnachi or Sickle-billed 
Birds of Paradise, and in my arrangement of the family I have placed it next to those birds; but the short 
and stout bill sbows that it must be classed with the true Birds of Paradise, and not with the Ephnachi. By the 
possession of a ruff on the head, it also shows itself a true Paradise-bird, and the other ornamental develop- 
ments of the plumage also demonstrate that it is more allied to the latter than to the Sickle-bills. 
Although it is only in recent years that perfect specimens of this wonderful bird have reached Europe, 
it has been known from skins of native preparation for one hundred years. The first specimen described 
appears to have been acquired by Sir Joseph Banks during his voyage with Captain Cook ; but the 
original specimen has disappeared, and is not in the Banksian collection at the British Museum of the 
present day. 
The range of the species seems to be limited to the mountains of the North-western portion of New 
Guinea, though many of the recent visitors to that portion of the great Papuan island did not obtain 
specimens. Neither Wallace nor D’ Albertis met with it, but Beccari and Guillemard procured examples. 
Baron von Rosenberg also got a few specimens, and several perfect skins of both sexes have been sold 
in Europe during the last twenty years, doubtless procured by the hunters employed by the late 
Mr. Bruijn of Ternate. It has also been said to inhabit the island of Jobi, but apparently on insufficient 
evidence. 
The native name is given as ‘Harorna’ or ‘Aroma’ by Beccari and Guillemard. The latter gentleman 
observes:- — “ The natives say that they do not think that this bird is really much less abundant than the 
Epimachus, although so few skins are ever obtained. They are found in the same district as the latter bird, and, 
