CHLAMYDODERA OCCIPITALIS, Gould. 
L arg*e • frilled Bo we r-b i rd . 
Chlcimydodera occipitalis, Gould, Annals & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th series, xvi. p. 429 (1875). — Id. B. New Guin. 
i. pi. 45 (1879).— Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. ii. p. 188 (1878). 
Chlamydodera maculata (pt.), Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. vi. p. 389 (1881). — Ramsay, Tab. List Austr. B. 
p. 11 (1888). 
This species was described by tbe late Mr. Gould in 1875, from a specimen procured at Port Albany, 
Northern Australia. He separated it from C. maculata on account of its “ somewhat larger size and tbe 
extreme beauty of its occipital patch, which is nearly twice as large as in tbe species mentioned, and is even 
of a more brilliant lilac-colour, particularly if the frill be turned up and seen from beneath.” 
Dr. E. P. Ramsay examined tbe type of this species when be was last in England, and came to tbe 
conclusion that it was nothing more than a very fine male specimen of the ordinary C. maculata , and when I 
wrote the sixth volume of tbe ‘ Catalogue of Birds ’ I came to the same conclusion, after an examination of 
tbe type, which bad by that time become tbe property of the British Museum. As, however, tbe bird is 
certainly much finer than any other specimen I have seen, and as its habitat is considerably removed from 
that of C. maculata, I have considered it worth re-figuring in the present Monograph under tbe name 
bestowed upon it by Mr. Gould, trusting to the zeal of Australian naturalists to discover more specimens 
and decide tbe differences, if there are any, between tbe two Spotted Bower-birds. Mr. Gould never 
accepted my opinion about bis C. occipitalis , and affirmed its specific distinctness up to tbe day of bis death. 
I think, therefore, that it would have been wrong to have omitted a figure of the bird in the present work. 
The Plate represents the adult male, and is a reproduction of the one published by Mr. Gould in the 
‘ Birds of New Guinea.’ He addst — “ Tbe decorative bower forming part of the illustration is taken from 
a photograph of some unknown species sent to me by the late Mr. Coxen, of Brisbane ; it may or may not 
be that of the present bird.” 
