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Show 1879.] PAPER ON T H E FRUIT-PIGEONS. 63 26. PTILOPUS TRIGEMINUS. I question whether Mr. Elliot, who says that it may well be doubted if P. trigeminus should be separated from P. geminus, has ever seen a specimen of P. trigeminus. He says that the only difference is in the slightly paler crown. The case is quite the contrary. I have seen one specimen in the British Museum (Wallace's collection), most likely from Sorong, a second from Salwatty in Gould's collection, and many in the Museum of Leiden. They differ from P. geminus in the brighter crown, in the paler throat, in the saffron-colour round the violet spot of the abdomen being much reduced, and in the yellow of the lower part of the abdomen being less extended. In fact, as regards the pale violet crown, P. trigeminus is intermediate between P. coronulatus with a bright violet crown, and P. geminus with pinkish, nearly white crown. 27. PTILOPUS IOZONUS. The habitat of this species is the Aru Islands and south of New Guinea. 29. PTILOPUS JOBIENSIS. The synonymy given is not exact; Mr. Rowley and I used the binomial name, and not a trinomial name like Schlegel. This species, rather than approaching P. humeralis, is allied to P. iozonus, of which it is the northern representative. P. humeralis differs from both in the deep purple band on the small wing-coverts, whereas these both in P. jobiensis and P. iozonus are grey-violet; P. jobiensis differs from P. jozonus in having the tail above uniform green; in P. iozonus the tail has a very conspicuous apical grey band. P. jobiensis lately has been found also in Tarawai or D'Urville Island (Atti R. Ac. Sc. Tor. xiii. p. 321). 31. PTILOPUS NANUS. This species has been obtained by D'Albertis on the Fly River (Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. ix. p. 43); and I think that it is confined to the south of New Guinea and Mysol. 32. PTILOPUS MONACHUS. Mr. Elliot says that the birds from Ternate differ from those of Gilolo, and that the Gilolo bird may require separation. Mr. Gray in his 'Hand-list' had already mentioned that the specimens from Gilolo belong to a variety. I may say that I have seen many specimens from both localities, and that I have not been able to detect any real difference. 34. PTILOPUS MELANOCEPHALUS. The locality Sula-bessie does not belong to this form, but to P. chrysorrhous. I cannot offer any additional remark on the specimens from Flores (P. melanauchen, Salvad.) ; but I think that they belong to a form equivalent to P. melanocephalus, P. melanospilus, and P. chrysorrhous. |