ry sober, being
a pure ashy olive, with a purplish tinge on the back; the crown of the
head is beautifully glossed with pale metallic violet, and the feathers
of the front extend as much over the beak as inmost of the family. The
neck and breast are scaled with fine metallic green, and the feathers on
the lower part are elongated on each side, so as to form a two-pointed
gorget, which can be folded beneath the wings, or partially erected and
spread out in the same way as the side plumes of most of the birds of
paradise. The four long white plumes which give the bird its altogether
unique character, spring from little tubercles close to the upper edge
of the shoulder or bend of the wing; they are narrow, gentle curved, and
equally webbed on both sides, of a pure creamy white colour. They are
about six inches long, equalling the wing, and can be raised at right
angles to it, or laid along the body at the pleasure of the bird. The
bill is horn colour, the legs yellow, and the iris pale olive. This
striking novelty has been named by Mr. G. R. Gray of the British Museum,
Semioptera Wallacei, or "Wallace's Standard wing."

A few days later I obtained an exceedingly beautiful new butterfly,
allied to the fine blue Papilio Ulysses, but differing from it in the
colour being of a more intense tint, and in having a row of blue stripes
around the margin of the lower wings. This good beginning was, however,
rather deceptive, and I soon found that insects, and especially
butterflies, were somewhat scarce, and birds in tar less variety than
I had anticipated. Several of the fine Moluccan species were however
obtained. The handsome red lory with green wings and a yellow spot in
the back (Lorius garrulus), was not uncommon. When the Jambu, or rose
apple (Eugenic sp.), was in flower in the village, flocks of the little
lorikeet (Charmosyna placentis), already met with in Gilolo, came to
feed upon the nectar, and I obtained as many specimens as I desired.
Another beautiful bird of the parrot tribe was the Geoffroyus
cyanicollis, a green parrot with a red bill and head, which colour
shaded on the crown into azure blue, and thence into verditer blue
and the green of the back. Two large and handsome fruit pigeons, with
metallic green, ashy, and rufous plumage, were not uncommon; and I was
rewarded by finding a splendid deep blue roller (Eurystomus azureus);
a lovely golden-capped sunbird (Nectarinea auriceps), and a fine
racquet-tailed kingf