WCP786

[1]

Amboyna

Sept^r. 30th. 1859.

My dear Mr. Gould

I hasten to reply to yours of June 25^th.¹ by return of post as requested, & it is pleasing to me to find that my collections excite so much interest. The following is an extract from my notebook:²

"It frequents the lower trees of the virgin forest, & is in almost constant motion. It flies from branch to branch, clings to the twigs, & even to the vertical smooth trunks almost as easily as a woodpecker. It continually utters a harsh creaking cry, something between that of Paradisea [Paradisaea] apoda & the more musical note of P. regia. The males at short intervals open & flutter their wings, erect the long shoulder feathers & expand the elegant shields on each side of the breast. Like the other Birds of Paradise, the females & young males far outnumber the fully plumaged birds which makes it probable that it is only in the 2nd. or 3rd. year that extraordinary [2] accessory feathers are fully developed."

The bird seems to feed mostly on fruit, though it probably takes insects occasionally. The iris is of a deep olive, — the bill olive horny, the feet orange, & the claws horny. I have now obtained a few specimens of what appears to be the same bird from Gilolo, — but the crown is more decidedly violet & the plumes of the breast much longer[?].

I have now an interesting collection from Menado including the singular Megacephalon and also one from Gilolo with I think a new & fine Megapodius & the superb Pitta maxima Forst., the finest bird I think of the whole family. After sending these off I am off to Ceram where I hope to do something good in ornithology. A paper lately sent to the Linnaean will give you my ideas on the structure & origin of the Archipelago.³

Yours faithfully | Alfred.R. Wallace [signature]

John Gould Esq.⁴