the Exploration of the Fly River. 369 
mens from Cape York are of a uniform dark shining green, 
while specimens from New Guinea differ, having the wings, 
tail, and back of a rich shining purplish violet. Gymnocorvus 
senex , a very common bird all over New Guinea, is remark¬ 
able for the great differences of its plumage at different ages. 
It was to be expected that in the centre of New Guinea 
many species of Paradise-birds were to be found; but only 
six species are given in my list, and certainly many others 
are to be discovered there. The most beautiful of them, no 
doubt, is the Seleucides alhus, or Twelve-wired Bird of Para¬ 
dise, and at the same time one of the rarest. . On the upper 
part of the Fly Biver I saw it several times crossing the river 
very slowly; and often in the morning and before sunset it 
was seen on the top of some high tree, motionless and uttering 
its mournful note. It is a very suspicious bird, and for this, 
perhaps, is still rare in museums. It is found also on the 
north-west coast of New Guinea and Salawatti Island. Ci- 
cinnurus regius is a too common bird (also of the north coast 
and Aru Islands) to be spoken of. Sericulus aureus is found 
also all over New Guinea. I saw it on the Arfak Mountains, 
at Najabui, in the eastern peninsula, and now also up the 
Fly; but it is a rare and shy bird. Salvadori places this bird 
close to the Chlamydoderce , but I cannot see more affinity in 
this bird with Chlamydodera than with Cicinnurus; at the 
same time, however, from its head, bill, wings, and shortness 
of the tail, I think it nearer to Cicinnurus than to the Chlamy¬ 
dodera. To say that it has not the same habits as the true 
Paradise-bird is not of much value; for nearly every species, 
or at least every genus, has its own habits. 
Ptilorhis magnifica is found also in Australia and on the 
west coast of New Guinea and Salwatti. Paradisea raggiana , 
discovered at Orangerie Bay in 1873, by myself, extends its 
habitat up to the centre of New Guinea, and seems to be 
common enough ; its plumes are used by the natives as head¬ 
dresses all over the country where the bird is found. Another 
bird, very closely allied to the last mentioned, is Paradisea 
apoda , or a new species resembling it very much. If 
admitted to be P. apoda , is it proper to say that it is the first 
