CRASPEDOPHORA MANTOUI, Oa^iaui.
Mantou's Rifle-bird.
I mmtmi, Oustalet, Le Nat. 1891, p. 200.—Id. NOUT. Arch. Mus. (3) iv. p. 218, pi. xv. (1892).-
Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, iv. p. xii (1894).—Biittlk. Notes Leydeu Mus. xvi. p. ICS (1894).
Craspedophora bruijni, Buttik. Notes Leyden Mus. xvi. p. 101 (1894).
THIS is a very fine species of Rifle-bird, but as yet no perfect specimens liave bccTi received in Europe, so
far as I am aware. The original example was a ])lumassier's skin, wliieb found its way into tlie hands of
M. Mantón, who presented it to the Paris Museum. In the Hon. Walter Hothscliild's collection 1 have
seen a sccoud e.\ample, while a third is in the Leyden Museum. The habitat of the species is not known,
but it is believed to besóme part of North-western New Guinea.
The principal dillerences between C. mantoui and C. magnifica are as follows :—The flank-plumes are
conspicuously longer, and the centre tail-fciithers are darker, not heing dark metallic green in all lights as in
C. magnifica. The back of C. mantoui is more violet, the sides of the crown and neck jiurple, and the
structure of the breast-shield is different, not being continued in a median line to the cliin, hut having the
feathers crinkled, instead of being scaly; the lower part of the shield, moreover, has only one haiul of golden
bronze, and no black band at all. The shape of the shield is rounder and not so triangular as in
C, magnifica.
The following description has been taken from the specimen in the Leyden Museinti, which is the type
of Dr. Biittikofer's C. bmijni. He thinks that his hird may be distinct from C. manluui, but I see im
reason for believing them to be diiferejit.
Adult male. General colour above purplish black, with a purplish-violet gloss, with velvety black lips;
wing-coverts velvety black, glossed externally with steel-blue, the primary-coverts similarly coloured, the
edge of the wings purple; quills velvety black, with a steel-green gloss, the inner secondaries with purplish
violet; tail-feathers velvety black, glossed with purj)le, the margins of the feathers steel-blue, with which the
centre feathers are glossed ; crown of head metallic steel-green, the feathers scaly in appearance; the .sides
of the crown and the sides of the face and neck as well as the upper throat purplish violet, with more
distinct purple on the latter; lower throat steel-green, united to a beautiful shield of scaly metallic-green
feathers, which are crinkled and have a purplish-violet gloss ; the lateral feathers of the shield black, with a
steel-green margin ; breast and abdomen pnr])lish red, with a bronzy reflection, this portion sc])arated from
the shield by a narrow band of golden bronze ; the long flank-feathers blacker with a purple gloss, the long
feathers becotning elongated into blackish filaments ; a tuft of white feathers on the upper part of the
thighs; utuler wing-coverts blacker, with a purplish gloss. Total length II inches, cidmen 2'2'j, wing (j'O,
tail 3, tarsus 17.
The figure in the Plate has been taken from the specimen in the Leyden Museum, and is copied from
a sketch nuide by Mr. Keiilemans.
1- I
C M A S F I E B ( Q ) F I H I ® R A M A M T © U I I , Ow^talel.
J <l Unri del et lUh. Min/'-/fi Jii-cs imp.