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Show 652 DR. F. H. H. GUILLEMARD ON BIRDS COLLECTED [Julie I 6, the mantle has become more yellow, the chestnut on the throat and breast has extended, and median rectrices, which are still slightly webbed at the tip, protrude some six inches beyond the other feathers. At a still further advanced stage the yellow mantle is complete, the entire breast is chestnut, and the abdomen is becoming so, the wire-like tail-feathers have reached their extreme length, and nothing is therefore wanting to complete the full plumage except the chestnut abdomen and the long subalar plumes, of which latter there is as yet no trace. I am rather inclined to the belief that the bird remains for some time in this half-perfect plumage. W e were fortunate enough in our expedition to New Guinea to obtain no less than four living examples of this species, three of which are at the present moment in the Gardens of this Society. When first obtained, in the month of December, they were in the dress I have just described, and remained thus for some two or three months. The yellow feathers of the head then fell off in two of the four, the birds becoming quite bald in patches, leaving nothing but the black skin showing. At the same time the subalar tufts began to appear. New feathers rapidly appeared on the head ; they were almost white at first, but soon assumed the yellow shade. The subalar tufts grew quickly, and were tolerably long within three weeks of their first appearance. The food given to the birds while on board consisted of boiled rice, banana, papaw fruit, cockroaches, and chopped egg. W e obtained P. minor from the mainland of New Guinea, from Mysol, and from Jobi. When in Salwatti I made many inquiries for it, but we did not obtain it, and I was assured that it did not exist on the island. Its abundance in Jobi was wonderful. In the neighbourhood of Ansus, at an altitude of about 1000 feet or less, we obtained no less than fifty-one examples in five days. The known segregation of the older males at certain (or all?) periods of the year partly explains the great preponderance of that sex in the present series. Immature males are also very common, but it is difficult to get females, and there is no doubt a considerable actual preponderance in numbers in favour of the male sex. 159. PARADISEA APODA, Linn. Paradisea apoda, Salvad. op. cit. vol. ii. p. 594. a-s. 3. (Native skins.) Aru. t. 2 • Wanumbai, Aru. During our stay in the Aru Islands, we were only able to procure a solitary individual of this species. At the end of the month of December, we were informed by natives and others that the males were not in plumage, and would not assume the adult dress until April. Mr. Wallace's experience also bears this out, and the males in full plumage in Salvadori's collection were shot during the months of April, May, and June only. It is curious therefore to note that the closely allied P. minor appears to remain in plumage the whole year round. It seems that P. apoda is decreasing in numbers in the Arus, or at |