254 Mr. P. L. Sclater on Recent 



Koffiao. A terrestrial Pigeon found at Ansus by Sig. Bruijn's 

 hunters, and anotlier very small terrestrial species of Atam' 

 are both of them on the whole nearest to Chalcophaps , and 

 probably new. The queen of all the Papuan Pigeons is 

 Otidiphaps nobilis, which, though rare, is found in various 

 localities, generally close to the sea. It was seen by my 

 hunters at Dorey, and is found at Andai and Batanta, and 

 seems to have been this year discovered at ISIysol. On 

 Mount Arfak it is not rare. It has the habits of a Pheasant, 

 and is very shy ; its note is loud, and resembles that of 

 Megapodius. I have got two specimens of this bird ; the 

 flesh is white and excellent ; it might be easily introduced 

 into Europe, as it endures a rather low temperature. Near 

 my hut at Atam there were a couple, though the morning 

 temperature was often as low as 10° to 11° Cent. It lives on 

 fleshy fruits, which, in the gizzards of those I examined, be- 

 longed to a Myrtaceous plant and to a Syzygium, and were 

 mixed with many pebbles. 



"At Jobi I naturally found Goura victorice, but not so 

 abundantly as I hoped. It is also found at Kordo and at 

 Sowek, but not at Miosnom or Mafor. It is certainly in 

 error that Wallace, 'Malay Arch.^ ii. 190, cites G. coronata 

 as an inhabitant of the Aru Islands. I think I told you that 

 a Goura was killed in the woods near my house at Amboyna, 

 and a Cassowary near the same place ; but I cannot be sure 

 that they had not been in captivity and had escaped to the 

 woods. 



" Talegallus jobiensis diU^ Megapodius geelvinkianus are easy 

 to be distinguished when alive ; but when the skins are dry 

 you might easily doubt their being good species. I found a 

 nest of Talegallus or Megapodius at more than GOOO feet 

 elevation.^* 



So much for Dr. Beccari^s ornithological letter, one of the 

 most interesting contributions to our favourite science that I 

 have ever read. We must now turn to Dr. Salvadori's 

 account of Bruijn's collection, to which frequent reference 

 has been made by Beccari. This, as Dr. Salvador! informs 



