OCR Text |
Show 1877.] OF THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. 555 12. FREGATA ARIEL (Gould). " No. 482, male : eyes black, flesh of throat red : fish in stomach. Shot from the pinnace, while hovering with others over a shoal of fish."-J. M. 13. NYCTICORAX CALEDONICUS, Lath.; Gould, B. Austr. vi. pl. 63. Three specimens of this Night-heron, two adult (474, male ; 475, female) and one in young plumage (476), were shot on Pigeon Island. 14. ARDEA SACRA, Gm. ; Finsch & Hartl. Orn. Central-Polyn. p. 201. A specimen (no. 480) in grey plumage, with a few white feathers on the throat; " eyes yellow ; legs had a yellowish tinge ; bill black."-J. M. 15. CARPOPHAGA RHODINOL^EMA, sp. nov. Supra eeneo-viridis, alis caudaque saturatioribus, remigibus rectricibus intus nigricantibus; capite et cervice totis inferiore canis; genis gulaque rosaceo indutis,- crisso obscure castaneo; mento et oculorum ambitu anguste albis; rostronigro, pedibus rubris: long, tota 12*6,- cdee93, caudce Hab. Ins. Admiralitatis. Four examples of this Fruit-Pigeon (nos. 468, 469, 470, males ; 471, female) belonging to the group of C. cenea are in the collection. The Marquis of Tweeddale, who has kindly compared the birds for me with his series, writes :- "Apart from its dimensions, this Carpophaga, from the Admiralty Islands, only differs from individuals of C. cenea, ex Ceylon, Malabar, Central India, Burma, the Andamans, Borneo, Java, the Philippines, and Hainan, in having no rosy or vinous tint on the grey part of the plumage, excepting on tbat of the throat, cheeks, and ear-coverts. In example no. 468 this is very well marked. " The outer webs of the primaries are not conspicuously powdered with grey as is the case in Central-Indian, Burman, Javan, Bornean, Hainan, and Philippine examples. But I do not attach much importance to this difference at present; for I suspect this powdering comes on only when the quills are old, and indications are evident on some of the quills of no. 468." Mr. Murray writes :- "These birds were in immense numbers, but more especially on a small island near the mainland, hence called ' Pigeon Island.' On the first day four guns bagged 85 in two hours. Another day 230 were taken, another 200, another 150. Three eggs were got. This island was about two acres in extent. The Pigeons always returned to it from the mainland, however much they were disturbed. It would seem to have been their breeding-place."-/. M. |