XANTHOMELUS ARDENS, it ah. 6$ Salvad. 
Southern Golden Bird of Paradise. 
Sericulus aureus (pt.), D’Alb. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vii. p. 798 (1875). — Id. op. cit. x, pp. 14, 20(1877). 
Xanthomelus aureus ?, D’Alb. & Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. xiv. p. 113 (1879). — D’Alb. Nuova Guinea, pp. 211, 
388, 493, 588 (1880). 
Xanthomelus ardens, D’Alb. & Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. xiv. p. 113 (1879). — Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, etc. ii. 
p. 663 (1881). — Id. Aggiunte Orn. Papuasia, etc. ii. p. 165 (1890). — Sharpe, Bull. B. O. C. iv. p. xiv 
(1894). 
Oriolus ardens, Musschenbr. Dagboek, pp. 210, 237 (1883). — Rosenb. Mitth. orn. Yer. Wien, 1885, p. 54. 
This species, which is a southern representative of X. aureus , was discovered by Signor D’Albertis on the 
Fly River, where he procured a native skin of a male and also a perfect skin of a young bird. He says 
that the plumes of this bird are worn by the natives of the Fly River as ornaments. No one appears to 
have met with the species since the visit of D’Albertis to this part of New Guinea. 
Adult male. Similar to X. aureus, but of a much more brilliant and fiery red on the head, neck, and 
mantle. 
Young male. Above brown, washed with ashy grey on the edges of the feathers of the scapulars 
and mantle, all of which have yellow shafts; quills brown, externally yellowish brown or golden olive, some 
of the wing-coverts and scapulars washed externally with the latter colour ; tail-feathers washed with ashy 
along the outer webs ; head and neck lighter brown than the back, the feathers on the sides of the neck 
longer and forming a frill ; sides of face and ear-coverts light brown, the latter rufescent; chin isabelline, 
fading off into the yellow of the throat, which is pale and forms a narrow band shut in by the frilled sides of 
the neck ; all the rest of the under surface of the body bright golden yellow, paler on the thighs ; sides of 
upper breast slightly washed with light brown ; under wing-coverts, axillaries, and quill-lining also bright 
golden yellow : “ bill reddish brown, yellow at base of lower mandible ; feet olivaceous leaden grey ; irides 
yellow ” (jy Albertis'). Total length 10 inches, culmen 1*1, wing 5‘4, tail 2*8, tarsus P75. 
The figures and descriptions given are taken froir the type specimens kindly lent me by the 
Marquis Doria. 
