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Show 536 MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE GENUS PTILOPUS. [May 7, a purplish-black spot in the centre. Several examples are before me, including the type of Pt. clementince ; and tbe species is readily recognizable from all the others of this especial section of the genus Ptilopus. Pt. apicalis, Bon., sometimes referred to this species, is quite distinct. I place with a doubt, among the synonyms given above, the Ptilinopus fasciatus figured in the Journal of the Museum Godeffroy (I. ci); for the colouring of the figure is so defective that it is impossible to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion as to what species is meant. The purplish-black mark on the abdomen is apparently omitted. If the specimen does not possess this, it cannot be the Pt. fasciatus, and is probably Pt. apicalis, Bon. An examination of the bird itself could alone decide the matter. Dr. Finsch, in a late number of these 'Proceedings' (1877, p. 779), described a Ptilopus from the island of Ponape from specimens sent to the Museum Godeffroy by Mr. Kubary, as distinct under the name of Pt. ponapensis. Not being able to make out by the description wherein this bird differed from the Pt. fasciatus, Peale, I wrote to Dr. Finsch asking if it was not possible to have the type sent to me. On his making the request to the Directors of the Museum Godeffroy, they most kindly forwarded me three specimens, among which was the type of the description published in this Journal. I compared it with the examples in the Paris Museum ; and, as I supposed it would be, the species is the same as Pt. fasciatus, Peale, being identical with those birds in the Paris Museum called clementince by Hombron and Jacquinot, and procured by them in the Voyage au Pole Sud, and which do not differ specifically from the Pt. fasciatus, Peale. The Pt. ponapensis will therefore have to become a synonym of the present species. Adult. Top of head and forehead bright purple, margined with pale yellow. Back and sides of neck, cheeks, upper part of back, throat, and breast pale yellowish green inclining to ash colour. Flanks and abdomen grass-green, with a purplish-black spot in the centre of the abdomen. Back and upper tail-coverts bronzy green. Primaries and secondaries black on inner webs ; outer bright green, edged with yellow on the secondaries ; first primary abruptly and greatly attenuated. Some of the innermost secondaries and tertials have a pale violet mark near their rips. Tail bright green, with the terminal fourth bright yellow. Crissum and under tail-coverts orange-yellow. Bill black, tip yellowish. Feet brown. Total length 8-f inches, wing 5^, tail 3-f, culmen £. (From Hombr. & Jacq. specimen in Paris Museum.) 14. PTILOPUS MERCIERI. Kurukuru mercieri, Des Murs & Prev. Voy. Venus, Ornith. p. 266 (1855). Ptilopus mercieri, Bon. Compt. Rend. torn. xl. (1855) p. 216 ; id. Iconog. Pig. pl. xxii. fig. 2 (1857); id. Consp. Gen. Av. vol. ii. (1857) p. 22. sp. 8. Ptilinopus mercieri, Finsch & Hartl. Faun. Centralpolyn. (1867) p. 128; Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1877, p. 410. |