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Show 574 MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE GENUS PTILOPUS. [May 7, and leave no characters by which the forms could be distinguished apart. The specimens of the smallest race, called Pt. puella, which are found in the island of Jobie and also at Mount Epa in the south of New Guinea, have the under surface of the tail lighter in colour than those from other localities, being blackish-grey instead of blackish-brown. This, however, cannot be considered of any specific importance, the geographical distribution alone forbidding the idea that they could be designated as a fourth race; for the Pt. puella is known to dwell between the Jobie and Mount-Epa birds as well as to the south of the latter, which fact is alone sufficient to preclude the supposition that two species, or even races, are indicated by the slight difference observable. For convenience I have kept the synonymy of the three races distinct; but they really should only be regarded as representing but one species. 69. PTILOPUS PUELLA. Colombo amarante, Less. Voy. Coq. (text), 1826, p. 711. Colombo puella, Less. Bull. Sc. Nat. (1827) p. 400; id. Trait. Ornith. (1831) p. 469 ; Knip & Prev. Pig. vol. ii. pl. i. Carpophaga puella, Gray, List B. Brit. Mus. (1856) p. 21. sp. 18; Wall. Ibis, 1865, p. 388. Megaloprepia puella, Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. vol. ii. p. 40 ; Reich. Taub. p. 102; id. Suppl. p. 203, nov. Taf. iv. fig. 41 ; Ramsay, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1876, p. 118. Ptilopus puellus, Schleg. Mus. P.-Bas, 1873, p. 38, Columbce. Megaloprepia puella, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. (1875) vol. vii. p. 788, vol. iv. p. 199, (1877) vol. x. p. 158. Mapouha of the Papuans (Less.). Hab. Cape York, Australia (Bamsay) ; Mysol, Salwatty, Waigiou, Ghemien, New Guinea (Bernstein, Hoedt); Jobie (Von Rosenberg) ; Dorey (Lesson) ; New Ireland (Lesson). The type of this species is in the Paris Museum. There are two specimens, one from Dorey, New Guinea, and the other from New Ireland, both of which were procured during the voyage of the ' Coquille.' Adult. Front and chin greyish white ; head and neck greenish grey ; centre of throat and neck in front, and underparts to the thighs, rich purplish red; lower part of abdomen and crissum rich yellow. Under tail-coverts greenish grey. Wings, back, and tail bright grass-green. Upon the outer web of the wing-coverts are some pale yellow spots forming a line along the wing. Bill yellow, red at base; iris orange-red ; feet yellow-green ; claws dusky. Total length 13| inches, wing 6, tail 6f, culmen f-. Sexes alike. 70. PTILOPUS ASSIMILIS. Carpophaga assimilis, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1850, p. 201. Megaloprepia assimilis, Bon. Compt. Rend. torn, xxxix. p. 1077 ; Reich. Taub. p. 102 ; id. Suppl. p. 203, nov. Taf. iv. figs. 42, 43 |