NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXV. 1918. 355 



translated " verde-grigio-scuro," " mat " not meaning dark (" oscuro "), but less 

 bright, dull, i.e. rather paler than darker, while Sumatran and Bangka birds 

 had the head fine bluish-grey (" d'un joli gris bleuatre "). Though this descrip- 

 tion is not very good and rather sounds as if the items were exchanged, it shows 

 that Schlegel distinguished between the Java-Celebes and the Sumatran race, 

 which he called " griseoaipilla." 



Salvadori (Ucc. Borneo, Ann. 3Ius. Civ. Genova, v. p. 288, 1874, thought 

 there might be three " species " : T. vernans : Philippmes, T . griseicapilla 

 Schleg. : Java, and T. chlorops Salvad. : Celebes, but aftera^ards he abandoned 

 this view. 



The differences of the colour of the crown were disregarded by Salvadori 

 in 1893 {Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxi. p. 62). He simply remarked that " Some speci- 

 mens have the forehead and throat more or less tinged with greenish, but thej' 

 •are not confined to a particular locality." This is perfectly true. We find the 

 throat and forehead sometimes more or less tinged with greenish in all localities, 

 but it is not clear what this means ; it seems to be purely mdividual, and not 

 due to age or state of plumage. 



On the other hand it is obvious that the specimens from Mergui, Malay 

 Peninsula, South Tenasserim, Sumatra, Batoe Islands, the Natuna Islands, Borneo, 

 Bongas, Palawan, Sulu, and Philippmes are generally darker all over, and 

 especially the crown of the head is much darker grey. (38 cj, 11 o in Tring 

 Museum.) Those from Java, Kangean Islands, Sumbawa and Celebes are 

 generally lighter all over, and especially the crown of the head is lighter grey, 

 (8 o, 4 $ in Trmg Museum.) Other constant differences we have not been able 

 to detect. The darker form must of course be called : 



Treron vernans vernans (L.), terra tyjiica Philippines. 

 The lighter one will have to be called : 



Treron vernans purpurea (Gm.), terra typiea Java. 



(C.jUimba purpurea Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i. 2. p. 784. 1789, ex Brown, Illuslr. Zool. p. 41. pi. 18, where 

 a Javan specimen is figured.) 



In Smithson, Misc. Coll. vol. Ix. No. 7. pp. 2, 3. 1912, Oberholser described 

 three new subspecies : 



" Dendrophassa vernans mesocJdoa " from Nias. Said to be larger and 

 more greenish. As no measurements are given, the form cannot be c'.iscussed 

 without a Nias series. 



'' Dendrophassa vernans polioptila " from North Pagi. Said to be lighter 

 and more greyish. 



" Dendrophassa vernans miza " from Simalur (Pulo Babi). Like polioptila, 

 but " decidedly larger." Measurements not given. 



In Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 98, 1917, p. 20, the same author described Dendr. 

 vernans adina from the Anamba Islands. Described as larger than T. v. vernans, 

 colours duller, abdomen paler. 



It may be added that " Osmotreron " cannot possibly be separated from 

 Treron, or else Dendrophassa would have to be the name, antedating Osmotreron 

 by twelve years. 



