Identifier: geographicaldis01wall (find matches)
Title: Geographical distribution of animals : with a study of the relations of living and extinct faunas as elucidating the past changes of the earth's surface
Year: 1876 (1870s)
Authors: Wallace, Alfred Russel, 1823-1913
Subjects: Zoology
Publisher: London, Macmillan
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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est and most singular birdsin the order; Nasiterna, tlie smallest of known parrots; andCharmosyna, perhaps the most elegant. Lastly, among thepigeons we have the fine crowned-pigeons, the largest and mostremarkable group of tlie order. Plate X. Illustrating the Ornitliology of New Guinea.—Thewonderful ornithological fauna w^e have just sketched, couldonly be ))roi)erly represented in a series of elaborate colouredplates. We are obliged here to confine ourselves to representinga few of the more remarkable types of form, as samples of thegreat number that adorn this teeming bird-land. The largecentral figure is the fine twelve-wired ))ar;ulise-bird (Epimachusaihus), one of the most beautiful and remarkal)le of the family.Its general plumage appears, at first sight, to be velvety black;but on closer examination, and by holding tln^ bird in variouslights, it is found tiiat every jKirt of it glows with llit^ most ex-quisite motalbV lints -rich luonze, intense violet, and. on tlu PLAJK X.
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SlKNK IN NKW (Jl INKA. WITH (11 Al( A( Tl.UIMR AMMAl.S CHAP, xiii.) THE AUSTRALIAN RECION. 415 edges of the breast-feathers, brilliant green. An immense tuft ofdense plumes of a fine orange-buff colour, springs from each sideof the body, and six of these on each side terminate in a blackcurled rachis or shaft, which form a perfectly unique adornmentto this lovely bird. To appreciate this wonderful family (ofwhich no good mounted collection exists) the reader shouldexamine the series of plates in Mr. Elliots great work on theParadiseidre, where every species is figured of the size of life, andwith a perfection of colouring that leaves little to be desired. Below the Epimachus is one of the elegant racquet-tailedking-hunti?rs (Tanysiiitera galatecC) whose plumage of vivid blueand white, and coral-red bill, combined with the long spatulatetail, renders this bird one of the most attractive of the interest-ing family of kingfishers. On a high branch is seated the littlePapuan parroquet (Ch

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