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Show 250 MR. A. H. GARROD ON THE [May 5, 16 rectrices, and does not refer to any other numbers. Different authors have recorded the number of tail-feathers in some of the genera. Twelve, fourteen, sixteen, and twenty are the numbers which I have been able to find in the different species which I have been able to examine, though in Caloenas one specimen had only ten rectrices in the perfect tail, whilst most have twelve. Inspection of the following list will show that in some of the genera there are peculiarities in the number of the tail-feathers which indicate difference of more than specific importance ; for instance, in Carpophaga fourteen is the typical number of the rectrices, but C. nova-zealandia differs from all its congeners in possessing only twelve:- Number of Name of genus and species. rectrices. Caloenas nicobarica .... . 12 Chalcopelia puella 12 Chalcophaps chrysochlora 12 Chamapelia talpacoti 12 Columba (all the species examined) 12 Ectopistes migratorius 12 Leptoptila crumenifera 12 Lopholamus antarcticus 12 Macropygia phasianella 12 Metriopelia melanoptera 12 Starnoenas cyanocephala 12 Turtur (all the species examined) 12 Tympanistria bicolor 12 Zenaida martinicana 12 Carpophaga (all species examined* except C. nova-zealandia) 14 Didunculus strigirostris 14 Geopelia (all species examined) 14 Leucosarcia picta 14 Ocyphaps lophotes 14 Phlogcenas cruentata 14 crinigera 14 Ptilonopus (all species examined except one specimen in Brit. Mus., marked P. occipitalis $, with 16) 14 Treron (all species examined) 14 Zenaidura marginata 14 Goura coronata 16 victoria 16 Phaps chalcoptera 16 Pterocles alchata 16 arenarius 16 Otidiphaps nobilis 20 It will be observed, as has been remarked by Prof. Baird, that, with the exception of Zenaidura, all the North American Columba possess 12 rectrices. * Including C. spilorrhoa, of which I have examined several examples. •,. |