(35) ALSOCOMUS PALUMBOIDES (Hume). 



THE ANDAMAISTESE WOOD-PIGEON. 

 (Plate 19.) 



Carpophaga palumboides Hume, Str. Feath., I p. 302 (1873) ; id. ib., II 

 pp. 53, 263 and 498 ; id. ib.. Ill p. 327 ; id. ib., p. 292 ; id. ib., VIII 

 p. 109; id.. Cat. no. 781, quat. 



lanthoeiias -palumboides Walden, Ibis 1873, p. 315, pi. xm. 



lanthoRims nicobarica Walden, Ann. and Mag. N.H., XIV p. 157 ; Hume, 

 Str. Featli., Ill p. 327. 



Columba palumboides Salvador!, Cat. B.M., XXI p. 308 ; Sharpe, Hand- 

 List, I p. 71. 



Alsocomus palumboides Blanf., Avi. Brit. I., IV p. 39 ; Butler, J.B.N.H.S., 

 XII p. 690. 



Vernacular Names. None recorded. 



Description. — Adult male. Whole head a beautiful pearl-grey or pearl- 

 white, showing a faint iridescent slieen of emerald-green on the crown and 

 nape ; upper-neck a little darker and with the sheen showing more definitely, 

 lower hind-neck the same but with the dark bases of the feathers showing through 

 and the metallic lustre rather a darker green, getting quite a dark metallic 

 green on the shoulders. Remainder of upper-parts and wing-coverts a deep 

 slaty-grey, almost black, all the feathers with a broad metallic border, amethyst 

 or copper-purple in most lights, green in a few, except on the median wing- 

 coverts on wliich the margins are very narrow and appear to always show 

 green ; quills and greater coverts of primaries blackish-brown, the 2nd, 3rd, 

 and 4th, and sometimes the 5th, primary with a narrow edge of grey-brown 

 to the outer web. Tail blackish brown ; lo^^•er part from neck to vent light 

 slate-grey with a faint sheen of emerald-green ; under wing coverts, axillaries, 

 flanks and under tail-coverts a rather darker grey. 



Colours of soft parts. " Back and sides of tarsi and toes pale fleshy- 

 pink, front of tarsi bright but light red, soles whitish, claws white. Upper 

 mandible and lower mandible to tip of gonys pale wliitish-yellow, cere and 

 rest of lower mandible lake red. Irides orange near pupil, darkening to light 

 red on posterior margins " (Davison). 



"Iris reddish-yellow ; feet pink, claws white; bill pinkish-lilac at base 

 and white at tip " (Wardlaw Ramsay). 



Measurements. Length about 17 in. ( = 432 mm.) ; wing average 9.95 in. 

 ( = 252.7 mm.), and with extreme measurements of 9.50 in. ( = 241.3 mm.) 

 and 10.15 in. (=257.8 mm.) respectively. Bill at front about .85 in. 

 ( = 21.6 mm.), and from gape about 1.4 in. ( = 35.5 mm.) ; tarsus about 

 1.2 in. ( = 30.5 mm.). 



" Weight 1 lb. 2 ozs." (Davison). 



