MAGNIFICENT RIFLE-BIRD. 
Adult mak. Crown of the head and nape metallic steel-green; lores, a line of feathers 
above the eye, sides of the face, as w^ell as the chin and sides of the throat, glossy 
purple; neck, back, wing-coverts, rump and upper tail-coverts velvety-black, 
glossed, in some lights, with purple ; tail velvety-black, central pair metallic steel- 
green ; primaries and secondaries black, slightly glossed on the outer margin and 
at the tip witli purple, from the chin a dense sliield of metallic steel-blue plumes 
spreads out over the chest; margined across the chest with a velvety-black band 
with burnished copper reflections succeeded by a golden-green band; rest of the 
undor-surfnce of tlie body black, glossed on the belly and abdomen wdth reddish- 
purple ; flank-feathers long and siUcy, reacliing beyond the tail. Eyes blackish- 
brown. feet and tarsi leaden-black, bill black. Total length 330 mm. ; culmen 52, 
wing 185, tail 103, tarsus 42. Figured. Collected at Cape York, North Queensland^ 
on the 5th of September, 1911, and is the tj^e of M. a. yorki. 
The Claudie River bird differs from the above in having the feathers on the gorget 
less pointed in shap and of a green colour. In the Cape York bird these feathers 
are pointed, and with a purplish tinge seen through the green. The Claudie River 
bird is also larger. 
Immature male. Top of the head golden-olive, each feather margined with darker olive ; 
back of the neck, mantle and upper-back olivaceous-brown, lighter on the rump ; 
upper tail-coverts tinged golden-olive ; tail chestnut-brown; primaries ash-brown, 
with the entire outer web chestnut-browTi; secondaries light chestnut-brown fringed 
on the outer webs with brighter chestnut, some of the feathers of the wings and 
secondaries mixed with the black pigment of the adult male ; lores, feathers round 
the eye and ear-coverts dusky-brown ; over the eye and continued to above the 
ear-coverts a broad line of white ; a line of dusky-browm from the angle of the lower 
mandible down the sides of the white throat; remainder of the tmder-surface dull 
white, mottled and barred with black, the markings less distinct on the belly and 
under tail-coverts, which are suffused with isabeUine. Eyes black, feet and tarsi 
leaden-blue, bill black, corner of mouth greenish-yellow. Total length 323 mm. ; 
culmen 50, wing 163, tail 103, tarsus 42. Figured. Collected at Cape York, North 
Queensland, on the 8th of September, 1913. 
Adult female somewhat similar to the above. 
Immature male. Top of the head and back of the neck dark olive, with many scattered 
metalhc-blue feathers making their appearance ; liind-neck and mantle olivaceous- 
brown, a few purplish-black feathers here and there ; rump and upper tail-coverts 
tinged with chestnut-brown; tail light chestnut-browm, some of the feathers 
margined on the outer web with black; outermost primaries bluish-black, glossed 
on the outer web with metallic-purple, innermost primaries chestnut-brown, 
shaded and margined on the outer w'ebs with black ; innermost secondaries velvety- 
black, glossed with purple; a well-defined eye of white feathers margined with 
brown, a blackish malar stripe; under-surface of body dull white mottled and 
barred with black ; a few feathers on the sides of the throat and a large shield¬ 
like patch on the chest glossy purplish-blue. Feet and tarsus leaden-black, bill 
black, comer of mouth yellow. This skin is about half-way through the moult 
from the female, or immature male plumage, to the adult. 
Eggs. Two eggs form the clutch. A clutch of two eggs taken near Somerset, Cape York, 
North Queensland, on the 26th of December, 1899, is of a creamy-white ground¬ 
colour, beautifully marked with longitudinal streaks and spots of brownish-olive, 
rufous-brown and slate, the long brush-like streaks becoming more numerous 
at the larger end of each egg. They are not such handsome eggs as is the case with 
those of P. paradisea and P. victorice. Swollen ovals in shape. Surface of shell 
rather fine, smooth and glossy. 32 by 24 mm. 
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