DREPANORNIS ALBERTISI, Sdaur.
D'Albertis' Bird of Paradise.
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Drepanephorus anertisii, Sclater, Nature, viii. pp. 151, 195 (187;t).
Dycpanorms alhertisii, Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, pp. 657, 6C0, ¡il. x lvi i—I d Nature, viii. p. iiOO, cum fi'r.
(1S73).—Elliot, Jionogr. Paracl, pi. 31 (1873).—Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. (Iil7.—Id. lliis,
1874, pp. 177, 187.—Finsch, J. f. 0. 1874, p. 54.—Meyer, t. c. p. 55.—Id. Zool. Gart. 1874,
p. 116.—Scili, in Rosenb. Reist. iiaar Geelvinld). p. 117, note (1875).—lieccari, Ann. Mu.s. Civic.
Genov. TÌÌ. p. 711 (1875).—Gould, B. New Guinea, i. pi. xi. (1875).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic.
Gcnov. vii. pp. 785, 890 (1875) ; viii. p. 403 (187CÌ) ; is. p. 1 90 (187(i) ; x. p. 154 (1877).—Sharpc,
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. iii. p. ICO (1877).—D'Albert. Nuova Guinea, jjp. 80, 582, cum tab. (1880).—
Salvad. Orn. Fapuasia e delle Molucelie, ii. p. 541) (1881).—Eudcs-Ueslongch. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nut.
Caen, i. p. 15 (1880).—Cory, Beautil'nl and Curious Birds, part vi. (1883).—Musscli. Dagboek,
pp. 204, 235 (1883).—Guillera. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 049.—D'llamonv. Bull. Soc. Zool. Prance,
1886, pp. COS, 509.—Salvad. Agg. Orn. Papuasia, ii. p. 155 (1890).—Sliarpe, Bull. B. O. Clul), iv.
p. xii (1894).
£;m'i?mcìi(S WiY/irfmiW, Meyer, Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind. 1873, p. 415.—Id. J. f. O. 1873, p. 405.—Finscb,
J. f. 0. 1874, p. 54.—Meyer, t. c. p. 55.—Id. Zool. Gart. 1874, p. IIO.—Id. Sitz. k. Akad. Wiss.
Wien, Ixix. p. 75, note (1874).—Sclater, Ibis, 1874, p. 18(i.—Meyer, Ibis, 1874, p. 303.
Epimachus vethi, Kostmh. Zool Gart. 1874, p. 8.—Id. Reist. naar Gctlvinkb. p. 110, pi. xviii. (1873).—Id.
Malay. Arcli. pp. 552, 590 (1878-79).
BpmacJms allertisii, Rosenb. Mittb. orn. Ver. Wien, 1885, p. 54.
THIS interi'sling spccies of Sickle-billed Bird of Piiradise ivas described In 1873 by Ur. Sclatcr, from
specimens ])rociir(?tl In the Arfak Mountains by Signer D'Albertis. lie j)roj»)sed at first ilie name of
Drtijmnepliorus fur tlie genus, but this, beinj^ found to be preoccupied, was cliiinged into Drepaitorins.
Von Rosenberg bad seen a female blril two years previously In the collection of Mr. Ilene.sse van
Dulveiibode, at Ternate, but the first speeljnena to be described were those obtained by D'Albertis. A few
months afterwards the species was also described by Dr . A. 13. Meyer ; since that date several specimens have
reached Europe, and the bird Is to be seen In several public and prh'ate inuseun}s. Tbe species ajipears to
be entirely confined to the Arfak Mountains Iji Norlb-wesleni New Giilnea, being replaced In Sou(b-eas(ern
New Guinea by D. ccnimmuda. Besides tbe specimens proeiiretl Ijy D'Albertis at Hatauj, it has also been
obtained at Andal by Dr. Becearl and the hunters emjiloyed by tbe late Mr. Bruljn.
D'Albertis states that tbe species is very rare near llatain, and many of tbe natives did not know It, but
others called it ' Qnarna.' The food of the species doubtless consists of berries and ln.seels, though the
sjiecimens jirocured by D'Albertis had nothing in their stoinaehs e-xeejitlng clean water.
Dr. Becearl writes :—
Drepmornh Is well known to the Arfaks under the name of * Sagroja ' ; it Is not very rare, but difficult
to find, because, as the hunters assure ine, it has no peculiar cry, so that It is only met with by chance. Its
Inconspicuous colour makes It difficult to see. It Is partial to places near recent clearings from .'iOOO to 5000
feet, as it has tbe habit of flying to dead trees and fallen trunks, about which It finds insects which form its
food. In the stomachs of the two s]ieclniens which 1 dissected I found only insects of various orders, ants
predominating, and the larvae of a lepidojiterous Insect."
AdtiU male. General colour above brown, the rump tawny chestnut, shading Into fawn-colour on the upper
tall-coverts, tbe tail being uniform fawn-colour; wing-coverts cliestnut-broivu, the rest of tbe wing being
paler and more tawny brown, the quills blackish brown on the inner webs, tbe Innermost secondaries pale
tawny brown like the back ; crown of bead rich brown with a purple gloss ; sides of bead bare, witii a line
of brown feathers drawn across the ear-coverts; lores and feathers In front of the eye and cheeks veh'ety
brown glossed with purple; throat rich purplish brown ; rest of tbe under surface of body cboeolate-brown,
with a lllae gloss on the breast and abdomen ; across tbe lo^^ er breast a bar of dull green ; from the sides
of the chest springs a tuft of fine purple feathers, brown at tbe base and tip ; from tbe sides of tbe breast
another long tuft of ])l chocolate-brown glossed with lllae, each feather tl|iped with a bar of
amethystine purple; under w'ing-coverts brown, tbe Imierinost of tbe greater series »bltlsh at tbe tip; (juills
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