(so) MACROPYGIA RUFICEPS (Temm.). 

 THE LITTLE MALAY CUCKOO-DOVE. 



Columba ruficeps Temm., PI. Col., pi. 561 (1835). 



Macropygia amhoiensis (?) Raffl., Trans. L.S., XIII p. 318 (1822). 



Macropygia ruficeps Stoliczka, J.A.S.B., XXXIX pt. 2 p. 331 ; Blyth, 



B. Burma, p. 146 ; Hume, Str. Feath., VI p. 420 ; Everett, J.S.B.A.S. 



1899, p. 103 ; Salvadori, Cat. B.M., XXI p. 360 ; Blanf., Avi. Brit. I., IV 



p. 51 ; Sharpe, Hand-List, I p. 73 ; Robiason, J.B.N.H.S., XX p. 261 ; 



Cook, ib., p. 675 ; Robinson, J.F.M.S. 1905, p. 55. 



Macropygia assimilis Hume, Str. Feath., II p. 441 ; Wald., in Blyth's B. 

 Burma, p. 146 ; Hume and Dav., Str. Feath., VI p. 420 ; Hume, ib., 

 VIII pp. 68, 110 ; id., Cat. no. 791, ter ; Oates, B. Burma, II p. 296. 



Macropygia ruficeps assimilis Streseman, Nov. ZooL, XX p. 312. 



Vernacular Name. Tekukor api, Malay. 



Description. — Adult male. Upper part of the head, lores, cheeks, ear- 

 coverts and anterior of sides of neck cinnamon-rufous, darkening posteriorly 

 and changing gradually into purple-brown on the lower-neck and upper-back, 

 the purple tint being generally most distinct on the sides. The shoulders 

 and sides of the extreme lower-neck are more or less glossed with lilac, and, 

 except in very old birds, there are always faint indications of dark bars on 

 these parts and sometimes also a little pale-rufous barring as well. Back, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts brown, the latter more or less rusty in tint, 

 and the scapiilars the same as the back, but rather darker. Wings deep 

 brown, the coverts edged with rufous, least heavily so in the oldest birds, 

 and in such practically not at all on the greater coverts ; primaries and outer 

 secondaries very finely edged with rufous, and the innermost secondaries 

 with broader rufous edges, and with a considerable amount of rufous at the 

 bases of the iimer-webs. Tail, central feathers dark red-brown, in freshly- 

 moulted birds showing very faint obsolete dark bars in a good light ; outer- 

 most rectrices chestnut, a broad black or dark brown bar across the teminal 

 third, the tips being broadly rufous of a paler tint than at the base, the 

 intermediate feathers grading gradually from the central to the outermost 

 in coloration. Below, chin and centre of throat whitish, varying greatly 

 in purity in different individuals ; remainder of plumage below pale cinnamon- 

 rufous, darkest on the upper-breast, flanks and under tail-coverts, and palest 

 on the abdomen. The feathers of the breast are tipped with dull white, 

 giving a mottled-white appearance to this part of the plumage, whilst the 

 purple of the sides of the neck is sometimes extended so as to form a faint 

 collar above the white mottling. 



Colours of soft parts. Legs and feet vary from brownish-pink or red, 

 through a lake-brown to a dark purplish-brown ; bill pale horny-brown, 

 sometimes suffused with pink, more especially at the base. Irides pearl- 



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