Members of the Genus Ptilopus. 575 



The occurrence of three Ptilopi on so small an island as 

 Savage Island, as given by Mr. Elliot, would be highly 

 remarkable, but, when one finds Mr. Kamsay describing a 

 possible fourth (!) and endemic species in his P. ivhitmeei, it 

 becomes pretty evident that some confusion exists here. 

 Nine or Savage Island is an upheaved coral island, lying in 

 a very isolated position about 250 miles west of Tonga, more 

 than 300 miles south of Samoa, and between 600 and 700 

 miles east of Rarotonga. P. rarotongensis may have strag- 

 gled hither at a recent date, and it is such a well-marked 

 species that it could hardly be confounded with the others, but 

 I think it must be owing to a lajjsus calami that Mr. Elliot 

 has given two authorities {Whitmee, Brenchley) for the single 

 specimen examined by him from the island. The yellow- 

 tipped feathers on the abdomen and thighs of Mr. Ramsay's 

 P. whitmeei are probably signs of immaturity, since young 

 birds from the Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji Islands are so marked 

 (Finsch & Hartl. Orn. Centralp. p. 117 ; J. f. 0. 1870, pp. 131, 

 132; ib. 1872, p. 45), while the dark band (not spot) across 

 the lower breast is peculiar to the Samoan P. fasciatus, Peale 

 (P. pictiventris, Elliot), with which species it corresponds in 

 other respects, I include it therefore, with a mark of doubt, 

 in the synonymy of that species. As the specimen of P. raro- 

 tongensis examined by Mr. Elliot does not correspond quite 

 exactly with the description by Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub, 

 and as the under tail-coverts of P. whitmeei do not show a 

 trace of orange, the latter may prove to be the young of a 

 distinct species. The name of Mr. Whitmee is given as the 

 authority for the occurrence of the Tongan P. porphyraceus, 

 Forster, on Savage Island. This is probably a mistake. 

 Mr. Ramsay regarded his P. whitm.eei as little more than a 

 variety of P. porphyraceus, and Mr. Whitmee, from whom 

 he obtained the bird, may have done the same. 



9. Ptilopus porphyraceus. 



Purple-crowned Pigeon (ex Tonga-tabu), Lath. Gen. Syn. 

 ii. p. 626 (1783) ; Bechst. Lath. Uebers. ii. p. 607 (1791). 

 Columba pmpurata, Gm. S. N. i. p. 784, pt. (1788) ; Lath. 



