303 Dr. P. H. Balir : Notes on the 



Ptilonopus perousei (Peale). 



This beautiful little Dove is still to be seen on the out- 

 skirts of Suva feeding on the berries of a small shrub, the 

 name of which I do not know. There is great difference 

 between the sexes, the coloration of the upper parts of 

 the male being white, claret, and greenish yellow^ while the 

 female is almost uniform green. The breeding-season 

 appears to begin about the end of September. In places 

 where the birds were said to be common they now exist in 

 sadly diminished numbers. I attempted to keep one which 

 I winged, but it refused all food in captivity. 



The " coo " of this bird is Dove-like, beginning in a high 

 crescendo it ends in a series of gasps. 



[(^ad. Sept. 26, 1910. Suva,Vitilevu. Iris light hazel ; 

 beak and feet emerald-green. Testes large. Wing 128 mm. 



? ad. Sept. 26, 1910. Suva, Vitilevu. Iris chrome- 

 yellow with a vermilion tinge ; beak and feet emerald-green. 

 Wing 126*5 mm. 



? ad. Nov. 2Q, 1910. Suva, Vitilevu. Wing 128 mm. 

 All are in fresh plumage, with a few body-feathers in quill. — 

 C. B. T.] 



CnRYSfENAS LUTEOviRENS (Hombr. & Jacq.). 



Fijian '^Coge.'' 



This is the Barking Dove. I was mystified for a long time 

 by its strange call, which almost exactly simulates the bark of 

 a dog. Moreover, it is extremely difiBcult to find the utterer 

 of the bark, as the bird has undoubtedly ventriloquial powers. 

 The male is a beautiful orange-yellow in colour, and is rarely 

 seen, as it keeps hidden amongst the dense foliage. This 

 yellow plumage, moreover, harmonizes almost exactly with 

 the dead leaves cf the bread-fruit tree which it frequents. 

 I managed to procure two males on the outskirts of our 

 garden during the middle of June, at which time the pairing- 

 season appeared to be in full swing. 



When barking the male sits on top of a low tree and throws 

 out the crop to its full extent ; the much smaller and green 

 mate sits underneath. The female does not utter any sound, 



