(35) ALSOCOMUS PALUMBOIDES (Hume). 
THE ANDAMANESE WOOD-PIGEON. 
(PLATE 19.) 
Carpophaga palumboides Hume, Str. Feath., I p. 302 (1873); id. ib., II 
pp. 53, 263 and 498; id. ib., III p. 327; id. ib., p. 292; id. ib., VIII 
p. 109; id., Cat. no. 781, quat. 
Ianthoenas palumboides Walden, Ibis 1873, p. 315, pl. xm. 
Ianthoenas nicobarica Walden, Ann. and Mag. N.H., XIV p. 157; Hume, 
Str. Feath., III p. 327. 
Columba palumboides Salvadori, Cat. B.M., XXI p. 308; Sharpe, Hand- 
List. se pe ils 
Alsocomus palumboides Blanf., Avi. Brit. I., IV p. 39; Butler, J.B.N.HLS., 
XII p. 690. 
Vernacular Names. None recorded. 
Description.—Adult male. Whole head a beautiful pearl-grey or pearl- 
white, showing a faint iridescent sheen 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 which 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; lower 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 whitish-yellow, cere and 
rest of lower mandible lake red. Irides orange near pupil, darkening to light 
red on posterior margins ” (Davison). 
“Tris 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 Ib. 2 ozs.” (Davison). 
