DIPHYLLODES SPECIOSA.
Magnificent Bird of Paradise.
Oiseau de Paradis de la Nouvelle Guinée, dit Le Magnifique, Montb. Pl. Enl. p. 194, pl. 631.—Sonn. Yoy. Nouv.
Guin. p. 163, pl. 98.—Levaill. H. N . Ois. de Paradis, i. pis. 9, 10.
Magnificent Paradise-bird, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. p. 477, pl. 19.
Faradisea speciosa, Bodd. Tabi. Pl. Enl. p. 3 8—Gray, Gen. B. p. 3 2 3—Sebi. Mus. P. B. Coraces, p. 86.—Id. N.
T. D. iv. p. 171.—Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 16.
magnifica, Gm. S. N . i. p. 401.—Shaw, Gen. Zool. vii. p. 492, pl. 62.—Audeb. & Vieill. Ois. Dor. p. 16,
pl. 4.—Wagler, Syst. Av., Paradisea, sp. 4.—Less. Traité, p. 338.—Wall. P. Z. S. 1862, p. 160.
cirrhata, Lath. Ind. Om. i. p. 195.
Diphyllodes seleucides, Less. Ois. Parad. Syn. p. 16, pis. 19, 20.
— magnifica, Gray, List Gen. B. 1841, p. 53.—Bp. Consp. i. p. 413.—Wall. Ibis, 1861, p. 287.—Rosenb.
J. f. O. 1864, p. 130.
---------------- speciosa, Wallace, Malay Archipelago, ii. p. 247.—Elliot, Monogr. Parad. pi. 12.—Sel. P. Z. S. 1873,
p. 697 Wagner, J. f. O. 1873, p. 11, pl. 1, map 5.
W h o was the original discoverer of this Bird of Paradise, seems to be a difficult question to decide; but it
was probably first introduced to the scientific world by Sonnerat, who figures it in his ‘ Voyage à la Nouvelle
Guinée.’ Although Sonnerat doubtless procured specimens during his journey, and was thus the first to
bring them to Europe, Montbeillard’s work, in which a figure is also given, bears date two years before the
volume o f the first-mentioned author. There can be no doubt, however, that of these two early figures,
one is a direct copy o f the other ; and from internal evidence in other parts of the ‘ Planches Enluminées,’
I have every reason to believe that it was by no means an uufrequent practice for the authors o f this
standard work to make up plates from the figures and engravings o f other works and then to colour them
from the descriptions. Thus it is possible that Montbeillard’s plate was made up from Sonnerat’s already
published figure, and that the date on the volume is the year in which the work was finished, and not o f the
actual part in which the plate o f “ Le Magnifique” appeared. Certain it is, however, that the species was
very little known to the older authors ; for after the works above mentioned, all the writers for years copied
Montbeillard’s plate into their books ; and it is equally certain that, until the last ten years, none but skins
o f native preparation existed in the museums of the world. Recently, owing to the enterprise o f the Dutch
naturalists, a good series of perfect skins have reached Europe, and good examples are to he found in the
British Museum and in my own collection. In Salwatti, according to Baron von Rosenberg, it cannot be
very rare, judging from the number o f skins collected ; ai it is found in the mountains both o f this portion
o f New Guinea and o f Mysol. In the former place it is called by the natives Sabelo ; and in Mysol its
name is Arung-arung. The late Dr. Bernstein procured numerous examples at Sorong, on the coast of
New Guinea, facing Salwatti ; and Von Rosenberg likewise records that it is an inhabitant o f the eastern
coast of the great island, where it is found both near the coast and in the interior. D ’Albertis met with it
in Atam ; and during his last voyage Von Rosenberg discovered it to be an inhabitant o f the island ofhlobi.
Nothing is known o f the habits o f this beautiful bird, as it was not met with in a state o f nature by
Mr. Wallace. In his work on the Malay Archipelago is to be found the following note, from which it will
be seen how recent has been the acquisition o f properly prepared specimens by European naturalists -
“ From what we know o f the habits o f allied species, we may be sure that the greatly developed plumage
o f this bird is erected and displayed in some remarkable manner. The mass o f feathers on the under
surface are probably expanded into a hemisphere, while the beautiful yellow is no doubt elevated so as to
give the bird a very different appearance from that which it presents in the dried and flattened skins o f the
natives, through which alone it is at present known. The feet appear to be dark blue.”
The Plate represents two males o f the size o f life. The female is a little less than life-size.