296 PYGMIES AND PAPUANS 



magenta patch on the middle of the breast and the belly 

 and under-tail coverts mostly bright yellow : viewed 

 from the upper surface the two birds are, however, very 

 different, P. coromdattis having the crown lilac-pink, 

 edged posteriorly with bands of crimson and yellow, 

 while P. nanus has the head green, but the ends of the 

 scapulars and secondaries are deep shining bluish-green, 

 tipped with bright 3-ellow. Even more brilliantly 

 coloured species than the above are Ptilopus pitlchellus, 

 P. superbus, P. atirantiifrons and P. helliis. 



Near the camp at Wataikwa large flocks of D' Albertis' 

 Pigeon {Gymnophaps alhertisii) were observed coming in 

 every evening from their feeding-grounds on the high 

 mountains to roost on the plains below. Mr. Goodfellow 

 tells us that their flight is extremely rapid and that their 

 strange aerial evolutions remind one of the common 

 "Tumbler" Pigeons. 



The Long-tailed Cuckoo-Doves were represented 

 by the very large Reinwardtcenas griseotincta and the 

 smaller chestnut-plumaged Macropygia griseinucha ; the 

 former being a large and abnormally long-tailed bird 

 with the head, mantle and under-parts grey, and the 

 back and tail chestnut. 



FAMILY MEGAPODIID.-E — MEGAPODES OR MOUND- 

 BUILDERS. 



The Game-birds are represented by three species of 

 Mound-builders, two being Brush-Turkeys and the other 

 a true Megapode (Megapodius freycineti). The fact that 

 two closely allied species of Brush-Turkeys are found in 

 the same district is of considerable interest. The common 

 species of the country Talegallus /tiscirostris has a very 

 wide coastal range, being also found in S.E. New 

 Guinea and extending along the north coast to the 

 middle of Geclvinck Bay. The other species T. cuvieri 



