180 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUi^EUM. vul. rj4. 



tallic sheen on interscapular region and posterior parts more evident 

 (less overlaid with gray). 



Description. — ^Type, adult male, No. 181434, U.S.N. M.; Solombo 

 Besar Island, Java Sea, December 6, 1907; Dr. W. L. Abbott. Top 

 and sides of head light grayish vinaceous, paling somewhat on lores 

 and forehead; an incomplete orbital ring whitish; hind neck be- 

 tween light neutral gray and pale neutral gray; back and scapulars 

 metallic dull Indian purple, in places rather dull metallic leaf green, 

 both colors more or less overlaid and dulled by grayish, least so pos- 

 teriorly; lower back and rump neutral gray, deepening on the shorter 

 upper tail-coverts, and with a sheen of metallic dull IncUan purple, 

 this most conspicuous on the upper tail-coverts, where slightly mixed 

 with duU metallic green; longest upper tail-coverts metallic leaf 

 green, with a decided metallic purplish bronze tinge, particularly 

 on the margins of the feathers; rectrices metallic dark duU yellow 

 green, becoming more bronzy marginally, and more bluish medi- 

 ally, especially on terminal portion of some of the feathers; basal 

 and outer portions of inner webs of wing-quills fuscous black, shading 

 on inner margins of primaries and secondaries to fuscous; primaries 

 and secondaries glaucous greenish slate gray on the outer webs, and 

 greenish slate or greenish slate black on the inner and terminal por- 

 tions of the inner webs, the outer vanes and tips of inner secondaries 

 and tertials becoming more metalhc leaf greenish, the tertials with 

 also a tinge of dull Indian purple; primary coverts metallic dusky 

 yellowish green; remaining upper wing-coverts dull metallic leaf 

 green, mixed with dull Indian purple, greenish slate, and greenish 

 slate gray; chin pale pinkish buff, shading into the pale brownish 

 drab of middle of tliroat; sides of neck anteriorly between Ught and 

 pale neutral gray, shading posteriorly into pale vinaceous drab; 

 jugulum, breast, and abdomen, pale vinaceous drab; sides and 

 flanks light neutral gray, the latter much washed with pale vinaceous 

 drab; under tail-coverts kaiser brown; lining of wing pale neutral 

 gray. 



A fine series of 10 adults shows that this big pigeon from Solombo 

 Besar Island is an easily recognizable subspecies, and apparently 

 hitherto undescribed. The birds of this series exhibit some individual 

 variations, but as a whole are fairly imiform m characters. They 

 vary individually, for the most part, in the metallic color of the upper 

 surface, which in some examples is decidedly purplish, in othei-s green; 

 in the depth of the gray color of nape, and in the color of the lower 

 surface, which in some is much more pinkish than in others, this due, 

 probably at least in part, to adventitious stain. The colors of the 

 soft parts in life are given on the label of a male (No. 181435, U.S.N.M.) 

 as follows: "Iris deep red; eyelids red; bill leaden; cere red purple; 

 feet purple red." None of the specimens show any indications of 



