observed during the Voyage of the ' Valhalla.' 707 



Once let an introduced bh'd or mammal establish itself, and 

 sooner or later it begins to interfere with the native species, 

 and no power on earth can check it. 



TlJRTUR ROSTRATUS Bp. 



Turtur rostratus Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xviii. 

 p. 513. 



One adult female and one immature female. 



I saw a few of these Doves at Cascade, but Mr. Thomasset 

 tells me that they are not plentiful. Those obtained had 

 their crops full of " red peppers." 



I did not see the so-called Turtur abbotti on these islands. 

 Mr. Ridgway (Proc. U.S. N. M. xviii. p. 513) proposes to 

 separate T. abbotti from T. picturatus, which was supposed 

 to have been introduced, as he says that his specimen, an 

 adult female, " differs so decidedly in coloration from an 

 adult male of true T. picturatus from Madagascar" Surely 

 one would expect the female to differ from the male even 

 to a marked degree, as is the case with T. aldabranus and 

 T. assumptionis. 



Alectrcenas pulchkrrima (Scop.). 



Alectromas pulcherrima Salvadori, Cat. B. B. M. xxi. p. 155; 

 Ridgway, Proc. U S. Nat. Mus. xviii. p. 513. 



Two pairs of adults : one nestling. 



This beautiful Fruit-Pigeon is still numerous, thanks 

 mainly to the protection afforded it by Mr. Thomasset 

 on Mahe, M. E. Boulle on Praslin, and Mr. Birgne on 

 Felicite. 



It is an extremely tame bird, and is easily caught with a 

 noose fastened to a long stick. Three examples were brought 

 home alive and presented to the Zoological Society by Lord 

 Crawford. The young in first plumage are greenish above, 

 every feather being edged with greenish yellow. The under- 

 pays arc greenish grey. 



Really adult males have some of the grey feathers, those 

 nearest to the blue abdomen, tipped with carmine, but to 

 such a slight degree that it requires a close search to find 

 them. 



