( 247 ) 



we have here a further snhsppoicp, but until more specimens, especially from 

 Bougainville, can be esamiued, this (jucstion must remain in abeyance. 



" Iris brown (dark brown) ; feet red (dark red, bright purplish red) ; bill black." 

 There is no doubt that beccarii, johannae, solomoncnsis (= granti), arc sub- 

 si)ecies of one sjiecies. Pld. beccarii solomonensin Cirant 188S (= r/mnfi, Salvadori 

 1893), differs from intermedia in being considerably largor and much more pnrjjlish 

 on the back, while the grey colour of the throat is darker. We do not reject 

 soiomoneusis Grant on account of there being already a salomonis Rams., the two 

 names being olivinnsly different. We also think it very likely that the speeiiuous 

 called bei-riirii from British New (Juinea will eventually be separable, as the only 

 Arfak skin we have seen is less greenish above. 



1~. Microgoura meeki liothsch. 



Min-of/oiim meel-i Rothschild, Bull. B. n. r. xiv. p. 7>< fMay 1004) ; (.Vm-, Znnl 1904, PI. XXI.). 



S ? ad. Bill chalky blue, tip black, lower mandible reddish. Short velvety 

 feathers on chin ; lores, sides of mouth and line over the foreliead black. Top of 

 head and scanty feathers on sides of same pale greyish blue ; crest-feathers pale 

 bluish grey, rather uniform, but not spotty, as in the plate. Chest and mantle 

 bluish grey. Lower back and rump greyish brown : upper tail-coverts dark brown 

 with purplish and greenish relle.xinns ; primaries drab-brown, inner webs with a 

 greyish tinge ; secondaries dull cinnamon, inner webs more or less greyish brown. 

 Wing-coverts greyish brown. Eectrices dark purple. Breast and abdomen bright 

 rufous-cinnamon. Under tail-coverts glossy brownish black, with cinnamon edges. 

 Under wing-coverts bright cinnamon. Wing, S 195 to 197, ? about 180 to 

 19(1 ram. ; tail 100 to 1(I5 ; bill, from base of cere, 34 to 3.5 ; metatarsus 60 ; 

 middle tf)e with claw 40, hind toe with claw about 13 mm. 



This remarkable new pigeon agrees with none of the known genera, so that 

 a new one had to be created for it. The cere is naked to the forehead, the soft 

 portion from the end of the hard rhamphotheca to the feathering on the forehead 

 being nearly 25 mm. long, and about 13 mm. wide at the base of the forehead. 

 A large flat crest, consisting of feathers with segregated barbs, rising from the 

 occiput. Remiges very hard and stiff. Tail short and rounded. Feet and legs 

 bare to above the heel-joint, covered in front with scutes, which, however, become 

 indistinct on the upper third. 



Mr. Meek sent seven specimens, of which six are in the Tring Museum. 



3 JcJ, 3 ? ?, Choiseul, January l'.)04 (Nos. A. 1091, 1094, 1108, 1109, IIM, 

 1120). 



An egg was taken on Jaimary loth. It is of a rich cream-colour, and measures 

 43 X 31-3 mm. 



13. Caloeuas nicobarica (L.). 



Culumbu nicuharka Linnaeus, tiyst. Xut. ed x. p. liU (1758 : "Habitat in insula Nicombar prope 

 Pegu iudicum "). 



1 <?, 2 ¥ ?, Rendova, February 1904 (Nos. A. 1181, 1271, 130.-.). 



1 cJ, 2 ? ?, Gizo, October 19ii3 (Nos. A. OGu, 079, 080). 



1 c?, 1 ?, Choiseul, January 1904 (Nos. A. 1122, 1150). 



1 c?, 1 ?, Bougainville, April and May 1904 (Nos. A. 1000, 1770). 



