1878.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE GENUS PTILOPUS. 509 



in the family. Some authors have separated them from the rest of 

 the Pigeons on account of the abruptly attenuated first primary. 

 This is utterly worthless, either as a generic or a specific character, as 

 among the species which are included in Ptilopus every gradation 

 of the first primary is procurable, from the most abrupt attenuation 

 to the normal shape of feather. 



I here give (fig. 1 ), in proof of this assertion, a series of drawings of 

 first primaries, together with the name of the species to which each 

 belongs, so that any one can verify it for himself; and I may 

 state that it would not have been at all difficult to have arranged a 

 more minute gradation from the species at my disposal if it had been 

 necessary ; but those given will be found, I think, amply sufficient 

 for the purpose. 



Another so-called character, which has been adopted by some to 

 distinguish the members of the genus Ptilopus, and one which is ex- 

 pressed by the term itself, is the tarsus feathered to the foot. This 

 proves to be of no more value, generically or specifically, than the 

 attenuated primary. Species with or without the last-named cha- 

 racter have the tarsus covered or partly bare, as do also those with the 

 graduated or normal shape of this feather. The drawings (pp. 510, 

 511) of the partly bare and partly covered tarsus, together with the 

 first primary of several species, will show clearly how very unsatis- 

 factory these characters are. 



Relative lengths of wing and tail, as given by some writers for the 

 separation of some of these birds into different genera, also are not 

 constant, as the tail can be found shorter than the wing, or nearly equal 

 to it in length. This last is the main character given by Reichen- 

 bach for separating the birds placed by him in his genus Meaalopre- 

 pia, as all the others are common to different species of Ptilopus. 

 He says: — " Schwanz fast so lang wie die Fliigel. Vorderschwinge 

 nicht verschmalert." The species included by him, it is true, have 

 not this last character ; but Pt. perlatus has the tail only a little 

 over half the length of the wing, while Pt. cinctus and Pt. gularis, 

 neither of which are included in Megaloprepia, have the tail nearly 

 as long as the wing, with the first primary abruptly attenuated. I 

 do not see that there is a single character remaining among those 

 given by Reichenbach which can distinguish the birds included in 

 his genus from those of the genus Ptilopus. 



For those who deem colour sufficient to establish a genus, it 

 might be supposed that among these gaily plumaged birds certain 

 patterns might be found which would answer for a generic cha- 

 racter. But this, again, fails ; for the variety of the coloration is 

 so great that it would be necessary to divide the group into 

 numerous genera (as has, indeed, been attempted), and many of 

 the species would be left alone to represent a genus. I do not find 

 any thing better to designate the genus than the following formula : — 

 Ptilopus. Size moderate ; wings usually reaching two thirds the 

 length of the tail ; rectrices fourteen in number, excepting Pt. occi- 

 pitalis, which has apparently sixteen ; tarsi partly or wholly covered 

 with feathers ; colours of plumage usually bright, and often strongly 



