MANUCODIA ATRA (Less.). 
Glossy-mantled Manucode. 
Barita viridis, var., Less. Man. d’Orn. i. p. 140 (1828). 
Phonygama aUr, Less. Voy. Coq., Zool. i. pt. 2, p. 638 (1838). — Id. Traite d’Orn. p. 344 (1831).— Id. Compl. 
Buff., Ois. p. 404 (1838).— Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 303 (1846). 
Phonygama atra, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 368 (1850). — Finsch, Neu-Guinea, p. 173 (1865). 
Phonygama viridis (nec Scop.), Wall. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) xx. p. 476 (1857). — Rosenb. Nat. Tijdschr, 
Nederl. Ind. xxv. p. 235 (1863). — Id. J. f. 0. 1864, p. 121. 
Manucodia atra , Scl. Journ. Linn. Soc. ii. p. 162 (1858). — Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 194. — Id. Cat. B. New Guin. 
pp. 37, 59 (1859).— Id. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 158, 1861, p. 436.— Id. Hand-1. B. ii. p. 17, no. 6260 (1870). 
— Elliot, Monogr. Parad. pi. 7 (1873). — Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, vii. p. 781 (1875). — Id. & 
D’Albert. tom. cit. p. 828 (1875). — Pelz. Verb, zool.-bot. Gesellsch. Wien, 1876, p. 719. — Salvad. 
Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, ix. pp. 40, 189 (1876), x. p. 156 (1877). — Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xiii. 
pp. 317, 500 (1877). — Id. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. iii. p. 183 (1877). — Salvad. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 98. — 
Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, iii. p. 101 (1878), p. 265 (1879), iv. p. 97 (1879). — - 
D’Albert. Nuova Guinea, pp. 582, 584, 587 (1880). — Salvad. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii. 
p. 504 (1881). — Id. Voy. ‘ Challenger,’ ii. Birds, p. 82 (1881). — Forbes, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 347. — Eudes- 
Deslongch. Ann. Mus. Caen, i. p. 45 (1880). — Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, iii. App. p. 551 (1882). — 
Musschenbr. Dagboek, pp. 126, 229 (1883). — Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, viii. p. 25 
(1883). — Finsch, Vog. der Siidsee, p. 28 (1884). — Meyer, Zeitsch. ges. Orn. i. p. 293 (1884). — 
Nehrk. J. f. O. 1885, p. 34. — Rosenb. Mitth. orn. Ver. Wien, 1885, p. 40. — Guillem. P. Z. S. 1885, 
p. 646. — Meyer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. 1885, p. 374. — Id. Ibis, 1886, p. 342. — D’Hamonv. Bull. Soc. 
Zool. France, 1886, p. 510. — Salvad. Aggiunte Orn. Papuasia, ii. p. 148 (1890). — Id. Ann. Mus. 
Civic. Genov. (2) ix. p. 584 (1890). — Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, iv. p. xiv (1894). — Madarasz, 
Aquila, i. p. 91 (1894). — Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) xvi. p. 103 (1896). — Reichen. J. f. O. 
1897, p. 222. 
Manucodia viridis , pt., Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 194, 1861, p. 436. — Id. Hand-1. B. ii. p. 17, no. 6257 (1870). 
Manucodia chalybea, pt.. Gray, Cat. B. New Guinea, p. 37 (1859). — Sclater, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 450. 
Chalybceus ater, Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Coraces, p. 121 (1867). — Rosenb. Malay. Arch. pp. 370, 395, 
558 (1879). 
Chalybceus viridis (nec Scop.), Rosenb. Reis naar Zuidoostereil. p. 47 (1867). 
In my third volume of the ‘ Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum ’ I separated Manucodia atra 
from M. chalgbeata , on the strength of the different colour of the crinkled feathers of the throat and 
fore-neck, these being oily-green in the last-named species, and steel-black with an edging of velvety- 
black in M. atra . A far better definition of the distinctive characters of the two species is given 
by Count Salvadori in his ‘ Ornitologia della Papuasia,’ where he separates M. atra from M. chalgbeata 
on account of the smooth metallic feathering of the interscapulary region, whereas in M. chalgbeata 
the feathers of this portion of the back have velvety-black transverse bands. I find that this difference 
holds good throughout the series in the British Museum, and even immature birds of both species 
can be recognized by these characters. 
Manucodia atra has a somewhat extended distribution in the Papuan Sub-region, being found 
throughout the greater part of New Guinea, as well as in the adjacent Aru Islands, Mysol, Waigiou, 
Ghemien, Batanta, and Salawati. Its range in New Guinea includes the Arfak district in the north- 
west, as well as the Fly River and Port Moresby districts in the south, and it also extends to 
German New Guinea. 
Besides being the most common species of the genus, it is found at a lower altitude than the others. 
Lesson states that its habits resemble those of Crows, and that it feeds on fruit on the large trees. 
Dr. A. R. Wallace, who observed it on the Aru Islands, writes : — •“ It is a very powerful and active 
bird ; its legs are particularly strong, and it clings suspended to the smaller branches, while devouring 
the fruits on which alone it appears to feed.” D’ Albertis states that it lives on fruits, and especially on 
figs, while Von Rosenberg found it feeding on insects and worms. In South-eastern New Guinea the 
species is found in small troops and is very common in the neighbourhood of Port Moresby, and on 
