BY C. W. DE VIS. 121 



The regularly arched ulnas found among the clucks have remigial 

 tubercles which are either small and low, or evanescent. The 

 pigeons have them constantly, and sometimes in pronounced 

 development. In Lopholaimus antarcticus they are almost as 

 large relatively to the size of the bone as in Menura, in which 

 they attain a greater size than in any other bird known to the 

 writer. In the fossil ulna they are as distinct as in Lopholaimus, 

 although the bone itself is much more slender than the ulna of 

 that pigeon. It is amongst the pigeons, therefore, that we must 

 place our extinct bird. It remains to ascertain its position among 

 the genera of the Columbas. It cannot be a Leucosarcia, for the 

 ulnar index in that genus is much too high — namely, 9*33. On 

 the other hand, Lopholaimus, with an index ranging from 6 '43 to 

 6*57, Goura with a range from 5*50 to 5"71. Myristicivora with an 

 index of 6*8, and Megaloprepia with one of 6*64 may be excluded 

 for the opposite reason. The middle terms are Macropygia, 

 having an index of 7*85 to 8*05, Erythrauchen (index 7*79 to 8), 

 and Chalcophaps (index 7*18 to 7*79), which last might include the 

 fossil, with an index of 7*38. But though in proportions it is at 

 one with Chalcophaps, on a close comparison of its arthral 

 surfaces with those of the genera referred to it is in 

 them found to resemble more nearly Megaloprepia and 

 Erythrauchen. Finally, a glance at the size of the 

 remigial tubercles of the fossil gives decision to the 

 opinion, already half formed, that it belonged to a genus 

 of pigeons distinct from all three. The name suggested 

 for the supposed genus, Lithophaps, is, of course, pro- 

 visional, since it connotes distinctive features which 

 J I may, when we know more of the skeleton, be found to 

 coexist with characters assimilating it to some known 

 genus ; it merely records a seemingly reasonable judg- 

 ment on the scanty evidence before us. 

 The characters of the genus so far known are those of the ulna. 

 Ulna stout, index 7*38, subcylindrical, continously arched, with 

 a single row of eight strong remigial tubercles ; arthral 

 surfaces nearly as in Megaloprepia. 



