to indicate that it separated from Waigiou at a later period than it did from Salwatty, as it contains no species of
Paradise® met with in the last-named island. Waigiou also contains the New-Guinea species Manucodia atra.
The large island of Gilolo, and its neighbour Batchian, contain but one species of this family, the Semioptera
Wallacii; and this is the furthest north that any of the Paradise® are found. The islands of Jobie, Biak, and
Sook, lying at the mouth of the great Bay of Geelwink, contain the Paradkea minor, which is found upon them
all, while upon the large island of Jobie, lying furthest in the bay and almost touching the eastern shore of
New Guinea, two other species, the Cicinnurus regius and JDiphyllodes speciosa, are also found. The specimens of
Paradkea minor procured from Jobie are remarkable for their size and the brilliant colour of their flowing plumes;
and some equal in extent P. apoda; but they cannot in any way be regarded as possessing specific
characters to separate them from individuals o f P. minor, procured elsewhere. At Mount Arfak, near the Bay
of Geelwink, M. d’Albertis procured the beautiful Paradkea raggiana and the extraordinary Drepanornk Albertisi.
The Aru group of islands lying to the south of New Guinea contains five species o f this family—the Paradkea
apoda and Murcedus melanotk (the last o f which is not met with elsewhere), Cicinnurus regius, Chahjbea atra, and
Manucodia Keraudreni.
The continent of Australia contains several species that I regard as belonging to the family o f the Paradiseid®;
and the first which I mention is the Ptilork Alberti, found in the north-eastern part, on the peninsula known
as Cape York, that stretches upwards towards New Guinea, with which at one time it was doubtless connected.
This species has been confounded with the Ptilork magnificus by all authors; but it is very distinct
at the present day, although it probably had the same origin as the New-Guinea form. 'Off the north-eastern
coast, on the Barnard Islands, another species o f Ptilork is found—P. Victoria, which seems to he restricted
to this group. It is very closely allied to the P. paradkeus of New Guinea, but has been generally recognized
as distinct. Upon the northern coast, in the vicinity of Port Essington, the Chlamydodera nuc/ialk is met w ith ;
but how far it proceeds into the interior is unknown. At Cape York is also found the Chlamydodera cerviniventrk,
which has its nearest ally in the C. xanthogastra of the interior of New Guinea. On the eastern coast the
Sericulus melinus is found as far south as Sydney, which seems to be its limit in that direction; while New South
Wales appears to be the habitat of Ptilonorhynchus violaceus, AElureedus crassirostrk, and Chlamydodera maculata.
By the foregoing review o f the geographical distribution of the members o f the Paradiseid® we see that some
species are restricted, in certain cases, to one single group of islands—while others inhabit several situated widely
apart, such as Diphyllodes speciosa and Seleucides alba, which are found on both sides of New Guinea ; and we
can only account for this rather curious fact by the supposition that they also inhabit the mainland across its
whole extent. Another singular fact is that the same species, such as Semioptera Wallacii, which inhabits
contiguous islands of the same group, begins to show in individuals from different localities, such as Gilolo and
Batchian, an inclination to assume a distinct style of dress, which will probably in the course of time cause them
to be ranked as distinct species; while other species, such as Diphyllodes speciosa, inhabiting islands widely
separated, presents in all the localities in which it is known to occur the same style o f form and plumage.
There is indeed, in the specimen called by Mr. Gould Diphyllodes chrysoptera, a tendency to assume a greater
intensity of colour upon certain parts of its plumage; but as we do not know where the bird was procured,
and as it can hardly be said at present to be more than a local style of D. speciosa (even if it be hereafter
ascertained to he from another island than any in which the typical form occurs), it is not as yet sufficient to
indicate why S. Wallacii should undergo a certain change and D. speciosa not.
Even the Paradkea minor, the most widely distributed o f all the Birds of Paradise, so far as our present knowledge
enables us to judge, does in certain islands, as has been already mentioned when speaking of Jobie, differ
from what has always been considered the typical, style, and in its greater size approaches so nearly to that of
P. apoda that its specific name of minor seems inappropriate ; while the more lengthened plumes and deeper
colour of these specimens cause them to be conspicuous even when lying by the side of others of the same
species having different habitats. It would thus seem that (perhaps in the majority of instances) when a species
inhabits different islands separated more or less widely apart, and in each one presents a style peculiar to itself and
differing in certain points from what may be regarded as the typical form, it cannot by any means be deemed
a fact that, merely because an animal does inhabit two or more islands, individuals from each must of necessity
be distinct from the type. The distribution of the genera of the Paradiseid® does not give any clue to
explain the apparently arbitrary habitats of many of the species. The larger number of them are met with in
New Guinea, some restricted to it, while others are represented in the neighbouring islands and continent of Australia.
Besides New Guinea, only one island, or rather group, possesses a genus peculiar to itself—Gilolo and Batchian,
where Semioptera is found; while Sericulus and Ptihnorhynchus are confined to Australia, the last being a form closely
allied to Chlamydodera, which, however, has its representative in the interior of New Guinea, apparently a straggler,
as our limited knowledge causes us to view it, because, with this single exception, afi the species of this last-named
genus are found in Australia, which would therefore appear to be the division of the earth in which it was originally
produced.
The following review exhibits more minutely the geographical distribution of the species.
PARADISEA.
Range o f the Genus.
Papuan Group of the Australian Region.
Range o f the Species.
1. Paradkea apoda. Aru Islands and perhaps parts of New Guinea.
2. Paradkea raggiana. Mountains around Arangesia Bay, New Guinea.
3. Paradkea minor. Wide distribution. Met with in New Guinea, Mysol, Salwatty, Waigiou, Jobie, Biak, and Sook.
4. Paradkea sanguinea. Restricted to the islands of Batanta, Ghemien, and Waigiou.
MANUCODIA.
Range o f the Genus.
Papuan Group and mainland of Australia.
Range o f the Species.
1. Manucodia chalybea. Island of New Guinea and Australian continent.
2. Manucodia atra. Islands of New Guinea and Waigiou.
3. Manucodia Keraudreni. New Guinea and peninsula of Cape York.
ASTRAPIA.
Range o f the Genus.
New Guinea.
Range of the Specks.
Astrapia nigra. Only found in the island of New Guinea.
PAROTIA.
Range of the Genus.
New Guinea.
Range of. the Species.
Parotia sexpennk. New Guinea is the only known habitat of this species.