From all Sources. 185 



nt over 1,01)0 next spring, so that the 

 st will sue the English Robin perch- 

 sin<;ing ovci-head, as in the fields at 

 .l/.-//;/r/y, Hoston. .Mass., U.S.A., per 



NEW ZEALAND PKiKOXS, i{v J. Dimjmmom), F.L.S., F.Z.S. 

 "Major J. T. Large, the (Joveinment Resident at Atiu, one of the 

 Cook Islands, has sent me the skins of two island pigeons. One, a large 

 bi-d. is called Rupe by the natives, one of the Maori names for the New 

 Zealand Pigeon ; and the other, a smaller bird, is Kukupa, another name 

 for the New Zealand Pigeon. Both are very handsome birds. Neither 

 resembles the New Zealand Pigeon. The Kukupa, which Europeans call 

 "the island dove," and which is also known as "the Rarotonga Fruit 

 Pigeon," is officially recorded a.s- Ptilnpim larnto/it/eitsia. It is less than half 

 the size of the New Zealand Pigeon, and does not possess the shining 

 coppery green, with coppery reflections, which gives that bird's plumage 

 its principal charm. Green is the ])revailing colour in the Kukupa's 

 plumage, but it is more grass green than metallic in appearance. Its back 

 and the upper parts of its wings are vivid green, and a close inspection 

 of the wing feathers shows that they are margined, sometimes narrowly, 

 but always distinctly, with either white or yellow. The green tints of 

 the wings vary considerably, those on the ))rimary feathers becoming much 

 darker and mt-rging almost into blue. The back and sides of the head, 

 the neck, anu the upper parts of the breast are a delicate grey ; the chin 

 and part of the throat are white, washed with pale yellow ; the under 

 parts of the wings are ashy grey ; and tlie tail is dark green, but greyish 

 white at the end, the white bearing a narrow mai'gin of pale yellow. 

 The tail, ui derneath, like the wings is grey. The breast is yellow ; the 

 legs are purple-red, and the crowning beauty patch, perhaps, is a violet- 

 red blot, surrounded by a light line of yellow on the top of the head and 

 forehead. The relative sizes of this pigeon and the New Zealand Pigeon 

 are shown by the following measurements :- Total length .• New Zealand 

 Pigeon, 21in. ; Kukniia, 'Jin. Length of wing: New Zealand Pigeon, 10"25 

 in. ; Kukupa, ain. Tail : New Zealand Pigeon, SSin ; Kukupa, 3'lin. Tar- 

 sus; New Zealand Pigeon, I'ioin. ; Knkn[)a, Oo'iin.".— From the Xea: Zea- 

 land Herald, per F. Howe. 



" The other island pigeon, Rui)e ((Hobicera jMic/Jica), is much larger, 

 but still falls short of the New Zealand Pigeon, which, by the way, I be 

 lieve, is surpassed in size by only one other pigeon, a native of the Mar- 

 quesas Islands, another Pacific gn/up, north-east of Tahiti. The Rupe's 



