P T IL O F \IS
PTIL0RI8 ALBERTI.
PRINCE ALBERT’S RIFLE-BIRD.
PTILORIS MAGNIFICUS, Gould, Birds of Austr. Supp. pi.
CRASPEDOPHORA MAGNIFICA, Gould, Handb. to Birds o f Australia, vol. i. p. 695. sp. 365.
PTILORIS ALBERTI, Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1 871) p. 683.
H a b . Cape York, North-eastern Australia (M a c g i l l i v r a y , G o u ld ) .
T h i s is the bird usually called magnificus by all authors who have had occasion to mention it. It is a native
o f Australia, and is very abundant in certain parts of that great continent, particularly in the vicinity of Cape
York, whence large numbers have been sent to London®!!) most perfect condition. Mr. Gould remarks that
“ the researches of Mr. Macgillivray and others enable me to state that it also inhabits the north-eastern portion
of Australia—a circumstance o f no ordinary interest, since, besides adding another fine species to the already
rich fauna of that country, we know that our museums will ere long will be graced with fin» and perfect
specimens in lieu of the mutilated skins hitherto procurable. We have abundant evidence of its being frequently
met with at Cape York, since nearly every officer of the ‘ Rattlesnake ’ procured and brought home specimens
from that locality.” Mr. Macgillivray, who has given about all the information we have of this Rifle-bird, states
that it “ inhabits the densest of the brushes in the neighbourhood of Cape York. The natives are f am i lia r with
it under the name of ‘ T a g o o n g a the Damley islanders also recognized a skin shown them, and described it to
be a native o f Dowde, or the south coast of New Guinea, near Bristow Islands. Its cry is very striking. Upon
being imitated by man, which may be easily done, the male bird will answer. It consists of a loud whistle
resembling wheeoo, repeated three times and ending abruptly in a note like wlio-o-o. Both sexes utter the «am»
note; but that of the male is much the loudest. The old males were generally seen about the tops of the
highest trees, where, if undisturbed, they would remain long enough to utter their loud cry two or three fimpg
at intervals of from two to five minutes. I f a female is near, the male frequently perches on a conspicuous
dead twig in a crouching attitude, rapidly opening and dosing his wings, the feathers of which by their peculiar
form and texture produce a loud rustling noise, which in the comparative stillness of these solitudes may be
heard at the distance of a hundred yards, and may be faintly imitated by moving the feathers of a dried skin.
The fiill-plumaged males are much more shy than the females or immature birds. According to the testimony
of several of the Cape-York natives whom I questioned upon the subject, the C. magnified breeds in a hollow
tree and lays several white eggs. ' The ovary of a female shot in November, at the commencement of the rainy
season, contained a very large and nearly completely formed egg.
“ From the shyness of this Rifle-bird it is difficult to catch more than a passing glimpse o f it in the dense
brushes which it inhabits; I once, however, saw a female running up the trunk o f a tree like a Creeper; and
its stomach was afterwards found to be filled with insects only, chiefly ants; while the stomach of a male,
shot about the same time, contained merely a few small round berries, the fruit of a tall tree, the botanical
name o f which is unknown to me.”
Male.— Smaller than the P. magnificus; top of head, occiput, centre of throat, and upper part of breast metallic
bluish green; sides of head, neck, and upper parts velvety black, with a rich purple gloss; primaries greenish
black; a bright olive-green line beneath the metallic shield of the breast; rest of underparts dark olive-green,
changing upon the base of the flank-plumes to a light purple; under tail-coverts black; two central tail-
feathers shining metallic green; remainder black, with green reflections on the outer webs ; bill and feet
slender, black.