ART. 4 BIRDS OF THE MENTAWI GROUP RILEY O 



be recognized from the islands off the west coast of Sumatra, as 

 follows : 



1. Dendrophassa vernans mdza, confined, as far as known, to Sima- 

 lur ; the males larger and more greenish below. 



2, Dendrophassa vernans mesochloa, extending from Nias to and 

 including Engano; the males smaller and more j'ellowish below. 

 Ij. v. polioptila becomes a synonym of this. 



MUSCADIVORES AENEUS VICINUS Riley 



Muscadivores aeneus vlcinus Riley, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 40, 



1927, p. 95 (Sipora Island). 

 Ducula aenea Chasen and Ki-oss, Ibis, 1926, p. 274. 



One male, seven females, and one unsexed bird from Siberut; six 

 males and two females from Sipora. 



The series submitted from the tw^o islands seem to be alike, as 

 Chasen and Kloss have remarked, and it only remains to compare 

 them with specimens from the other islands. Muscadivores aeneo- 

 ihorax of Engano, on account of its differently colored under tail 

 coverts and other features, is so distinct that it need not be consid- 

 ered further in this connection. Specimens from Simalur south to 

 the Pagi Islands are quite similar in color and only differ slightly 

 in degree or in size. Nias birds have very little vinaceous wash on 

 the breast, in certain lights not evident at all; it has been named 

 Carpophaga consohrina Salvadori,^° Birds from Pulo Babi and Pulo 

 Lasia have been separated from consohy^lna on lai'ger size. They 

 appear also to be slightly more vinaceous on the breast and hind 

 neck and have been named Muscadivores consohnna habiensis Rich- 

 mond.^' Simalur birds hav^e been separated on size from consohnna^ 

 as decidedly smaller, and the measurements show that they are some- 

 what so. There is apparently little or no difference in color. They 

 liave been named Muscadivores aeneus nvistu^ ^- Oberholser. The 

 Siberut-Sipora series is a puzzle. The breasts of these birds are 

 washed with deeper vinaceous; in one or more specimens the nape 

 and hind neck is deep purplish vinaceous; in others the breast is 

 vinaceous lilac, the head and nape gray like consohrina from Nias; in 

 other specimens the vinaceous wash on the breast is not so pro- 

 nounced. The specimen with the most pronounced deep purplish 

 vinaceous nape and vinaceous lilac breast agrees with the description 

 of Carpophaga vandepolli Biittikofer.^^ except for some minor de- 

 tails. If all the vinaceous-naped, vinaceous-breasted birds were simi- 

 lar, one would be inclined to believe two species were involved, but 



»» Ann. Mus. Civ. Geneva, ser. 2, vol. 4, 1887, p. 558. 

 " Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 25, 1912, p. 103. 

 " Smiths. Misc. Coll., vol. 60, no. 7, 1912, p. 2. 

 " Notes Leyden Mus., vol. 17, 1896, p. 190. 



