ASTRAPIA SPLENDIDISSIMA, Rothsch. 
Rothschild’s Bird of Paradise. 
Astrapia splendidissima, Rothschild, Novit. Zool. ii. p. 59, pi. v. (1895). — Id. Novit. Zool. iii. p. 19 (1896). 
This extraordinary bird is at present known only from the specimens in the Rothschild Museum at Tring, 
where there are now five examples. The first one described by the Hon. Walter Rothschild was supposed 
to come from the foot of the Charles Louis Mountains, in Dutch New Guinea, but the actual habitat of the 
species is still unknown. 
Mr. Rothschild remarks : — “ On comparison with Astrapia nigra , some of the structural characters show 
important differences. The feathers covering part of the nostrils are a little shorter than in A. nigra. The 
large ear-tufts of A. nigra are very much smaller, in fact barely indicated, in A. splendidissima , and not 
different in colour from the hind-neck. The splendid pectoral hand is much broader and more patch-like, 
the feathers above it less velvety. The scaly feathers on the sides of the breast do not extend so far down 
as in A. nigra. The beak of the new species is actually much larger than that of the much bulkier 
Astrapia nigra.” 
Adult male. General colour above velvety black, glossed with beautiful purple on the mantle and hack, and 
with steel-green on the wihg-coverts, rump, and upper tail-coverts ; quills and tail black, the two centre tail- 
feathers creamy white for more than half their length, the terminal portion black glossed with purple ; the 
remainder of the feathers with a decreasing amount of creamy white towards the base, disappearing entirely 
on the outer feathers ; forehead velvety black in some lights, hut shot with metallic golden green, which 
verges into steel-green on the crown and then becomes glossed with metallic violet ; the hinder crown and 
hind-neck metallic emerald-green, many of the feathers shot with golden green and metallic violet; anterior 
lores velvety black, followed by a vivid patch of golden green, continued below the eye, and contrasting with 
the ear-coverts, which appear velvety black, but are glossed with golden green like the forehead ; entire 
throat metallic oily green, shot with steel-green, especially on the edges, which incline to steel-blue ; tbefore 
part of the cheeks golden green, the hinder part fiery crimson, uniting in a broad collar of the same colour 
on the fore-neck, and separated from the green throat by an intervening patch of velvety purplish black ; 
remainder of under surface of body glossy green with coppery-golden reflections, the feathers of the sides of 
the breast ornamented with crescentic tips of metallic steel-green ; sides of body and flanks washed with 
purplish ; lower abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts purplish black, as also the under wing-coverts : bill 
and feet black. Total length 15 inches, culmen T45, wing 5‘4, tail 7'7, tarsus T45. 
The adult female is not known, but a young male in Mr. Rothschild’s collection has a fulvous breast 
with dusky bars, like the female of Astrapia nigra, so that it is evident that the female of A. splendidissima 
will be found to have a barred plumage below. 
The description is taken from a beautiful specimen in Mr. Rothschild’s collection ; and the Plate 
represents the same bird in two positions, to show the different sheen which the sides of the head present 
according to the positions in which the bird may be held. 
p.S. Since the above was printed, Mr. Rothschild has received the female of this species, and I have 
been able to add a figure of this sex. 
