538 Dr. O. Finsch^s Ornithological 



ago, and does not need my evidence. I may state, however, 

 that nestlings are coloured just the same as the old birds, 

 only less brightly, and that in young males the iris is dark 

 brown, instead of blood-red, and the bill black, spotted with 

 yellow ; while in the young females the eye is also dark brown, 

 instead of pale yellowish, and the bill black, spotted with 

 orange. The nestling of Cacatua opkthalmica wears the 

 same colours as the old bird ; long before the tail-feathers 

 are fully grown the yellow pendent crest is developed in the 

 same style as in its parents. As regards Pionus heteroclitns, 

 I have little doubt that the blue-headed form is only the 

 female and young male ; for I have seen a yellow-headed spe- 

 cimen of which the head-feathers were mixed with blue. Of 

 the two Trichoglossi, T. massence and T. subplacens, the latter 

 is very common, but more easy to see than to obtain. I 

 obtained examples of both species from Abgarris or Feads 

 Island, to the east of New Ireland. 



Next to the Parrots the Pigeons are the most numerous 

 tribe as regards species : fourteen are known from New 

 Britain ; but only two are peculiar, namely Carpophaga me- 

 lanochroa, ScL, and PJilogcenas johanncB, Scl,, the latter 

 only found on Duke-of-York island, and not known to the 

 natives here. The single specimen of C. melanochroa remains 

 unique, no other specimen having been yet obtained. The 

 same is the case as regards Ptilopus rivolii. Although Dr. 

 Sclater remarks "we have thus a better indication of the 

 true patria of this fine Fruit-Pigeon than has yet been ob- 

 tained,^ ^ yet he was not able to say whether the specimen 

 came from New Ireland or New Britain ; and, what is worse, 

 the question is still unsettled. Mr. Brown has in vain 

 searched for another specimen, and does not now remember 

 the first specimen and where it came from. Carpophaga 

 van-wycki breeds in great numbers on Credner Island, but is 

 rare on the mainland, where C. rubricera is very common 

 during the ripe state of certain fruits. Calcenas nicobarica 

 is everywhere rare. The fine Macropygia broivni, ScL, also 

 occurs on the main coast, but is also rare. Besides this I 

 got another species of Macropygia, which, from the black 



