GRASPEDQPHORA MAGNIFICA.
JffruU/iVSrt.ièiaìuA' Kilter Imp.
CRASPEDOPHORA MAGNIFICA.
New-Guinea Rifle-bird.
U Promlfil, Levaffl. Ois. de Parad. p. 36, pi. 16 ( 180,6) .- L e s s . H. N . Ok. Parad. pi. 29 (1835).
Falcinellus magnifies, ftleUl. N. Diet. d’H ist.;;Nat. xxviii. p. *W, pL G 80. no. .3 (1818).
Epimachus splendidus, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiv. p. 77 (1826). . . T
Epimachus magnifies, Wagler, Syst. A v .,'Epimachus, sp. 10 (1 8 2 7 ).-Cu v ier, R e g n eA a in n 1829, p. 440. Leas.
Cent. Zool'p. 22, pis. 4, 5 ( 1 S 3 0 ) .-H . Ois. Parad. Syn. p. 27 (1S35).—Id. H. N. Ois. Par . p. ,
pis. 3 2 -3 4 (1835).—Bp. Comp, i, p. 412.(1850) -G r a y , P . Z. S. 1859, p . 1 5 5 .-S o h l. J. f. O. 1861, p.
3 8 6 ; id. Mus. P. B., Coraces, p. 96 (1867). C: - ! j . . -
Craspedophora magnifies, Gray, List Gen. B. p. 1 5 ( 184||,-J le i,eh en b .; Handb. Scansorus p. 330,
40 8 9 -9 1 (1850).—Wall. P. Z. S. 1862, p. 160.—Rosenb. J. f. O. 1864, p. 128. Salvad. Ann. Mns. Cl .
Genov, ix. p. 191 (1874).
Epimachus paradiseus, Gray, Gen. B. ii. pi. xxxii. (nec Swains.).
Ptilornis magnificus, Gray, Handl. B. i. p. 105 (1869). e , ; . « m ,,, c \v io
Ptiloris magnifies, Elliot, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 5 8 3 ,-H . Mon. Parad. pi, x n n . (1876).-S a lv a d . Ann. Mns. Cmc.
Genov, vii. p. 785 (1874).
DtHmrTsie oiinprhus. Bp.p.p.ari. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov.
M Ê Ë ■ ago I described and figured a species o f Rifle-bird from North-eastern Anstraha as P M u
i ü H and fo r a long time it was supposed by ornithologists that one Spec.es was common to New
Guinea and the Cape-York peninsula. Mr. Elliot, however, in his work on the B.rds o f Parad.se,
minted out certain differences between these two forms, which appear to justffy the,I spécifié s ep a r a te ,
,„d adopted for the Cape-York species the MS. name o f Ptilornis albert,, proposed by the late Mr. G. R.
Gray after a study of the specimens in the British Museum. Mr. Bawdier Sharpe also concurs .n the spec,lie
separation o f these two Rifle-birds ; and he points out that in the male o f A B B | H |
purple below the double pectoral band, and has not the oily-green lustre wh.cl. distinguishes the same sex of
P alberti. I must also.mention that the metallic lustre on the pectoral sh,elds of these birds is of a d.fferen
L a l lu g h perhaps thegreatest difference between the two species is exhibited by th e fe .n a leb .rd s ,T us
e female df'the Aew-Guiuea Rifle-bird is entirely rufous on the upper surface and has the head ol
the same colour as the had., whereas in the female o f Prince Albert's Rifle-bir the head | . ashy brown
As is the case with so many of the birds o f New Guinea, we know noth.ng of the hab.ts of the R.fle-b.rc
inhabiting that region ; but we may well suppose that they do not differ from those " e Bffl
work on the Birds of Australia. Dr. Beccari states that the eggs o f the New-Gu.nea R.fle-h.rd have b j
discovered by one o f Mr. Bruijn's hunters I in the branches o f a tree called at Ternate I D B f l
which is the H H inoplnjllm," He adds, ■■ At present I have not the eggs
about them more fully another time, when I have been able to exam.ne the man who found them.
The following descriptions are taken from Mr. Bowdler Sharpe's Catalogue of B.rds.
“ Top of bead and occiput, centre o f throat, and entire upper part o f breast shin.ng bluish green,
purple in certain lights ; entire upper parts deep velvety black, with rich dark purple reflec .ons ; pr.rnar.es
black with green reflections ; a narrow line o f green, red in some l.ghts, beneath the metallic o f the br
flanks and abdomen purple , sideplumes also purple, basal half and filamentary ends black; wo c e ,n c tu 1-
feathers shining green ; remainder velvety black, with green reflect«™ on them outer webs, h.ll, feet,
'eS- . « bl A b o v e c in n am o n - r u f o u s , th e w in g s a n d ta i l e n t i r e ly of the same c o lo u r as t h e back: t h e in n e r
webs browner ; over the eye a narrow streak of white ; lores and sides of face dusky brown the forme
. 1 . H H tii, „„in'.io oinmr th p sh afts o f th e fe ath ers ; che eks