obtained at Dorey a young male of this bird, in a state of plumage
which is no doubt that of the adult female, as is the case in all the
allied species. The upper surface, wings, and tail are rich reddish
brown, while the under surface is of a pale ashy colour, closely barred
throughout with narrow wavy black bands. There is also a pale banded
stripe over the eye, and a long dusky stripe from the gape down each
side of the neck. This bird is fourteen inches long, whereas the native
skins of the adult male are only about ten inches, owing to the way
in which the tail is pushed in, so as to give as much prominence as
possible to the ornamental plumage of the breast.

At Cape York, in North Australia, there is a closely allied species,
Ptiloris alberti, the female of which is very similar to the young male
bird here described. The beautiful Rifle Birds of Australia, which
much resemble those Paradise Birds, are named Ptiloris paradiseus
and Ptiloris victories, The Scale-breasted Paradise Bird seems to be
confined to the mainland of New Guinea, and is less rare than several of
the other species.

There are three other New Guinea birds which are by some authors classed
with the Birds of Paradise, and which, being almost equally remarkable
for splendid plumage, deserve to be noticed here. The first is the
Paradise pie (Astrapia nigra of Lesson), a bird of the size of Paradises
rubra, but with a very long tail, glossed above with intense violet.
The back is bronzy black, the lower parts green, the throat and neck
bordered with loose broad feathers of an intense coppery hue, while on
the top of the head and neck they are glittering emerald green, All the
plumage round the head is lengthened and erectile, and when spread out
by the living bird must lave an effect hardly surpassed by any of the
true Paradise birds. The bill is black and the feet yellow. The Astrapia
seems to me to be somewhat intermediate between the Paradiseidae and
Epimachidae.

There is an allied species, having a bare carunculated head, which has
been called Paradigalla carunculata. It is believed to inhabit, with the
preceding, the mountainous, interior of New Guinea, but is exceedingly
rare, the only known specimen being in the Philadelphia Museum.

The Paradise Oriole is another beautiful bird, which is now sometimes
classed with the Birds of Paradise. It has been named Paradises aurea
and Oriolus aureus by the old naturalists, and is now generally
pla