42 DircRors Animal Report. 



. This bird is somewhat similar to P. ponapensis, from Pouape, 

 but the latter has more lilac on the crown and no red at the base of 

 the lower mandible ; it is also lighter gray on the neck, and the 

 band on the tail is 3'ellowish in Ponape specimens. 



GE^aTS PHI/OGOBNAS Reichenbach. 



40. Phlogoenas xanthonura (Temm). Poloman kanau. 

 White-headed Pigeon. 



Columba paiiipmaii, Ouoy & Gaim., Voy. Uran. Zool., 1S24, p. 121, pi. 30. 



Cohimba xaiilluDiiDa , Terani., PI. Col. 190 (liv. 32, 1823). 



Peristeva eiytlirofiln a (part), Cass., U. S. Exp. Ex. Birds, 1S53, p. 277. 



Phlesfoenaspanipiisaii. Cat. Brit. Mus., 1893, XX., p. 602; Wiglesw., Aves. Polynes., p. 55. 



P/ileiivenas .laii/Z/oi/ni a, Hartert, Nov. Zool., 1898, V., p. 60. 



These pigeons are common all over the island. Sixteen speci- 

 mens were secured, — 6 adult males, i immature male, 8 females, 

 and I fledgling. The adult males have the forehead, cheeks, 

 superciliar}- region, throat and brea.st pure white ; crown, back of 

 neck and ear coverts a ru.sty rufous. In fully adult breeding birds 

 there is a slight wash of buff on the nape, as in No. 951 1 ; remain- 

 der of upper parts olive bronze ; anterior part of mantle and the 

 wing coverts with a rich lustre of purple-violet ; primaries brown ; 

 quills dark ; mid-tail feathers brown, the lateral one grayi.sh black 

 with a broad sub-terminal band of black ; belly and under tail 

 coverts brown, with some of the feathers slightly tipped wdth rufous ; 

 feet brown, with a slight pinkish tint ; bill dark ; eye dark hazel. 

 The adult female (type of Columba pampusan) has -no white color- 

 ing at all, the entire body being a uniform rufous brown with a 

 distinct olive lustre on the back ; forehead, crown and nape cin- 

 namon ; feathers of wing coverts and belly edged with rufous ; tail 

 rufous, with a broad sub-apical black band which is not so dis- 

 tinct on the two central feathers ; feet brown ; eye dark hazel ; bill 

 a brownish fie.sh color. The immature males have a number of 

 dirty white feathers appearing on the breast and throat ; sides, top 

 of head and neck deep brown, with an intermingling of a few- 

 rufous feathers ; the lesser and middle wing coverts with the splen- 

 did purple-violet coloring of the adult male, No. 9505 ; the feathers 

 of the middle wing coverts are tipped with rufous; bill dusky, 

 with a slight greenish cast ; feet brown, with a pinkish tint ; eyes 

 dark hazel. 



These pigeons .seem to prefer the deep jungle, from w^hence 

 their deep low moan, like the sound of a man dying in great dis- 

 tress, comes with a wierd uncanny effect, heightened by the gloom 

 and darkness of the unknown forest. This sound, which always 

 seems to come from a long distance, is very misleading, and one is 

 considerably surprised to find he is perhaps within a few feet of the 

 bird. Their food consists chiefly of the fruit of the Lemonceti 

 {Ti'-iphasia aji?-antiola) and a small berry, called by the natives 



