A P P E N D I X .
FAMILY I. PARADISEID/E.
SUII-FAMiLv I. EL'IMACHIN.®.
GENUS I. PTILOKHIS.
1. PTILOUIIIS PARADISEA.
^'n'^rhis pm-adism, Sharpc, Monogr. Paracl. part ii. (1893) . - Id. Bull, Brit. Orn. Club, iv. p. xil (1894).-
Campbell, Vict. Nat. xiii. p. 145 (1897).-Le Souef, Ibis, 1897, p. 396. -Meyer , Abhandl. k. zool.
Mus. Dresclen, vii. uo. 2, p. 40 (1898).—Rothschild, Thieri-eich, Lief. 2, Parad. p. 24 (1898).
The iicst aiKl eggs of this species have recently been discovered by Mr. A. J . Campbell, on the
Clarence River, and the following description has heen published by him in the 'Victorian Naturalist' (xi"-
p 145), where he has al.so figured the nest and egg. He writes as follows : —
" The discovery of the nest and egg of the Rille-biril, Pfilof/iis paradise«, Latham, is of considerable
importance. It is 71 years ago since the bird itself was described, and yet only this season have the nest
and egg been brouglit to light. The nest was taken in the Hichmorid River scrub, on the I9th November
last, b/Messrs. W ^ r . Bailey and Isaac Foster. It was bnilt in a buoyong, Tametia (sp.), at a height of
about 4 0 feet from the ground, the nest being placed in an entanglement of vines, which covered the top of
¡he tree. A peculiar feature of the nest was its adornment with shed snake-sWns, the largest pieces being
on the top edge, while a few small hits were in the nest.
" yVis^—Somewhat bulky ; outwardly constructed chiefly of green stems and fronds of a climbing fern,
with a few other broad leaves at the base, ornamented round the rim with portioiis of shed snake-skins,
probably from the Carpet Snake, Morelia mnegata, lined inside with wire-like rootlets a.id a few scales of
snake's sKin at the bottom. Dimensions—over all 8 - 9 in., by 4 in. i.i depth ; egg-cavity 4 in. across,
by 2 in. deep.
.< E i r g .—l » shape, inclined to oval, but more swollen about the upper quarter ; shell, fine in texture, surface
somewlmt uneven, but slightly lustrous ; eolo.n', rich fleshy tint, moderately but boldly marked or streaked longitudinally
witli reddish brown and purplish brown, the markings being more numerous on the apex and upper
(inarter. Some of the markings have the appearance of having been painted on with a brush. The egg
resembles in general character the smaller egg of Victoria's Rille-bird, but is richer in the ground-colour,
with the markings not so elongated. Dimensions—I•29x0-98 m."
2 . PriLOiuiis vicTOiii.i;.
''\mm-Ks victoria, Sharpe, Monogr. Parad. part iii. (1894).-Id. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, iv. p. xii (1894). -
Meyer, Abhandl. k. zool. Mus. Dresden, vii. no. 2, p. 40 (lS98).-Rothschild, Thierreieh, Lief. 2,
Parad. p. 24 (1898).
GENUS II. CRASPEDOPHORA.
I . CUASPEDOPIIOUA MAGNIFICA.
^^'a-^ped^pkom m^gnijica, Sharpe, Monogr. Parad. part i. ( 1 8 9 1 ) . - Id. Bull. Brit. Orn. Clnb, iv. p. xii (1894).-
iMeyer, Abhandl. k. zool. Mus. Dresden, vii. no. 2, p. 40 (1898).
Ptilorhis mcignifica, Rothschild, Thierreieh, Lief. 2, Parad. p. 24 (1898).
Dr. INIever remarks (/. c. ) that he found this species common atRubi, in Gcelvink Bay. "Skin at the
angle of the gajie greenish yellow."
A 1' P i; N l U X.
. , , 2. CHASPEDOPIIOKA AI.HEK'I'I.
Add;—
Craspedophara nBoii, Sharpe, Monogr. Parad. [.art vii. (l!S97).— Le Souijf, Ibis, I8!I7, p. 394, fil;. 1.—Meyer,
Abhandl. k. zool. Mus. Dresden, vii. no. 2, p. 40 (1898).
Ptilorhis alhati, Rothseliild, Thierreieh, Lief. 2, Parad. p. 25 (1898).
Hy some unacconntable mistake, I lelt this species out of my list of tie I'uradiseidm in 1894 (Hull, lirit.
Orn. Club, iv. p. ,\ii). I have always considered it to be distinct from I', magnijic.a.
Mr. D. Le Souef has given the following note on the nidifieation of the present bird (Ibis, 1897,
p 394)
" T h e eggs of this beautiful bird have been found this season at Cape York by Mr. II. G. Barnard, who
has been collecting there for Dr. C. Ryan, Dr. Snowball, and myself; and I cannot do better than (piote his
own notes on the subject, which are exceedingly interesting :—' I found the first eggs of this bird on
October 2iird, I89G, near Somerset, Cape York. On that date two nests were taken, each containing
two fresh eggs. The first (which I forward for description) was built in a small palm, seven feet from tlie
ground ; it was very loosely put together; in fact, if one is not very careful in taking such a nest it v\'ould
fall to ])ieces. As a rule the nests were placed in very conspicuous sjiots, the birds .selecting patches of
scrub where the undergrowth is very thin, evidently with the intention of seeing an enemy approach, as I diil
not in a single instance flush the bird from its nest. These birds are very shy and hard to get a shot at.
They do not seem particular as to the kind of tree they breed in, as I found them nestiiig in pandanus-trees
and palms, in small trees that had bad their tops broken oil" and a few shoots growing out, also again.st the
stems of small trees where two or three vines met; in one instance I found the nest on the top of a stump
18 inches from the ground. If a nest was found with one egg and the egg were taken, the bird always laid
a second next day, but if the first egg was left it always disappeared.'
" At the first nest Mr. Barnard fomid he had to remain in hiding for over an hour before the bird returned,
but owing to the weather being so warm there was no fear of the eggs getting cold during that lime. The
female of the Victoria Rille-bird sits very closely to her nest, and the trunk of the tree on which she is
nesting often has to be struck several times before she will fly off.
" The nest is very loosely constructed of green twigs with the leaves on, large dead leaves, and viiie-tendrils.
Its external depth is 5 inches, internal 2f inches ; external diameter 9 inches, internal 4 i inches. The eggs
are beautifully marked, and are very similar to those of the other two Rifle-biids. There are two types, one
having a much darker ground-colour than the other; both are slightly lustrous.
" Ti/jie A.—The ground-colour is ochraceous bnlf, richly marked with stripes starting from the larger end
close to the apex, where they coalesce, towards the smaller end, and tapering off to a point. The markings
are of various lengths and breadths, some being large and going three parts down the egg, and others again
being only elongated dots. They vary in colour, but are principally various shades ot rich rufous brown ;
some lighter ones appear of a greyish-blue hue. The niaikings have the appearance of being painted on
by hand, one often overlaiiping the other, and daiker markings sometimes appear as if beneath the lighter
ones. They measure: A, 1-31 X 1 0 4 inch; B, 1-24X1-03 inch.
" Tt/pe B.—The ground-colour cream-buir, the elongated markings thinner than in the preceding and commencing
further from the apex. Many of the markings are greyish blue at their larger end, darkening
grailually towards their point to rufous brown. The smaller end of the egg generally has few markmgs on
ft, and those mostly small. They measure : A, I-22 X - 8 8 inch ; B, 1-28X-89 inch."