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MACGREGORIA PULCHRA, DeVis.
O r a n e r e - w a t t l e d Bird of Paradise.
Maria maegregoria, Gigi. Boll. Soc. Geogr. Ital. p. 26 (1897 : descr. nullà).
Maegregoria piilchra, De Vis, Ibis, 1897, p. 251, pi. ¥Ìi.
T H I S species was discovered by Sir William MacGregor on Mount Scratcl)ley, in British New Guinea, at a
lieigljt of about 12,000 feet. Mr. De Vis writes :—" Three examples of tliis bird, all (presumably) males,
were obtained by Sir W. MacGregor, in May 1896, during bis joiirjiey across British New Guinea from
Mambare to tlie Vanapa River. Mr. A. Ginlianetti, bis Excellency's collector, notes that ' the species is
pretty common all over the Scratcbley Range up to about 12,000 feet elevalioii.' " Mr. Dc Vis has forivarded
to England one of the specimens procured by Sir W. MacGregor during the above-mentioned expedition.
This specimen has been figured in the ' Ibis' for 1897, and has been presented to the British Museum.
Dr. Sclater has called attention to the fact that Professor Giglioli (/. P.) is res]}0risihle for the publication of
the name of Maria macgregoria—a name which appears to have been mentioned in a private letter addressed
to Professor Giglioli by Sir W. MacGregor. As Dr. Sclater remarks : " Unfortunately the generic term
' Maria ' has been already em|)loycd in Zoology (Bigot, Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1859, p 311 : Dii)tera)."
The genus Macgregoria is undoubtedly closely allied to Paradigalla, but the different ]iosition of the fleshy
wattles on the sides of the face renders further comparison unnecessary.
Adult male. General colour above and below blach, ivith scarcely any pur|)lisb gloss, and vvitli a large bare
orange wattle covering the whole of the ear-coverts and the region of the eye ; primaries orange-buff nitb
black tii)s : iris red. Total length 13 inches, culmen 1-3, wing 7-4, tail 5-6, tarsus 2-4.