264 Capt. G-. E. Shelley on the 



feathers have narrow ends and broader inner margins of 

 blacky with a greenish gloss ; under tail-coverts shade into 

 crimson on the larger feathers^ the remainder glossy green, 

 mottled with large buff centres and partial edges ; a bare 

 patch round the eye red ; iris red ; bill olive-shaded slate- 

 colour, fading into yellowish-white towards the tip ; feet red, 

 powdered with white between the scales. Total length 1] 

 inches, culmen 0*6, wing 7, tail 3 8, tarsus 0'85. 



Hub. Madagascar. 



According to Schlegel and Pollen this bird is probably com- 

 moner on the east than the west of the island, but rather 

 rare in the north-east. It lives in bands of six to eight, in- 

 habiting the higher branches of the taller forest-trees, and is 

 shy and difficult to approach. Its flight is strong and rapid. 

 It feeds on berries, fruit, and grain, and during the planting 

 of the rice-crops does much damage and becomes excessively 

 fat, but is never so good to eat as the other Madagascar 

 Pigeons. It is easily tamed, but is very lethargic in its 

 habits. The native name is " Finingo,''^ according to Schlegel 

 and Pollen, and " Founi,^'' according to Dr. Miller. 



My description is taken from a specimen in my own 

 collection. 



II. Treron. Type, 



Treron, Vieill. Analyse, 1816, p. 49 . . . T. amboinensis. 



Vinago, Cuv. Regn. Anim. i. 1817, p. 457 . T. waalia. 

 Phalacrotreron, Bp. Compt. Rend, xxxix. 



1854, p. 873 2\ calva. 



The genus Treron ranges over the whole of Tropical and 

 Southern Africa, Madagascar, and a large portion of the 

 Indo-Malayan Region. 



In Africa there are five well-marked species, and as the 

 sexes do not differ in plumage, there is no reason for their 

 being confounded; yet there is a general similarity in the 

 colouring of them all, which has entailed many errors in 

 nomenclature, and renders their geographical distribution 

 somewhat uncertain. 



