542 MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE GENUS PTILOPUS. [May 7, 



Eurukuru taitensis, Des Murs & Prev. Voy. Venus, Zool. (1855) 

 p. 251. 



Ptilonopus purpuratus, Gray, List B. Brit. Mus. (1856) p. 4 

 (partim); id. List B. Trop. Isl. (1859) p. 35 (partim); Finsch, 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1877, p. 741. 



Kurutreron oopa, Bon. Compt. Rend. (1854) torn, xxxix. p. 878 ; 

 id. Iconogr. Pig. (1857) (text) ; id. Consp. Av. vol. ii.p. 26 ; Reich. 

 Taub. p. 92, pi. 245 b. figs. 3527-28. 



Ptilinopus purpuratus, Cass. U.S. Expl. Exped. (1858) Ornith. 

 pi. xxx. p. 269; Pinsch & Hartl. Faun. Centralpolyn. (1867) p. 

 122; Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1877, p. 741. 



Ptilopus purpuratus, Schleg. Mus. Pays-B. 1873, p. 15, Columbce. 



Hah. Otaheiti. 



Peale says this species utters a coo-coo-coo slowly and at regular 

 intervals. It is not as sprightly as the Coral-island Dove, and 

 delights to sit on some dead branch in the shady recesses of the 

 woods. In my article on Pt. purpuratus I have given my reasons 

 for considering that this species should not bear that name. The 

 fact that Latham states that the bird he describes came from 

 Otaheite, which is the chief reason why his name of purpuratus 

 was assigned to this species, loses entirely its value and force when 

 it is seen that no bird of the genus Ptilopus inhabits Otaheite that 

 answers to his description. Having specimens from both the Society 

 Islands and Tonga in his possession, and having confused them in 

 his description, he probably did not particularly regard his specimen 

 or compare it with his description when he stated it to have come 

 from Otaheite. By no stretch of the imagination can the present 

 species be deemed to have a " purple crown." It is ashy grey with 

 a lilac tinge, but in no way does it approach any shade of purple. 

 A series of specimens now before me from the Paris-Museum collec- 

 tion clearly substantiates this. 



Adult. Top of head ash-grey with a tinge of lilac. Underparts 

 light ash-green, darkest on the abdomen. Back of neck cinereous, 

 washed with green. Upper parts bright green. Wings bright green ; 

 first primary gradually narrowed to tip ; the inner webs of secondaries 

 and primaries black, outer webs bright green, those of the secondaries 

 edged with yellow. Centre of abdomen and crissum pale yellow, 

 becoming bright yellow on the under tad-coverts. The tail has the 

 rectrices bright green on the outer webs, black on the inner, and a 

 subterminal interrupted greyish bar, extending only over the inner 

 webs. Feet violet ; eyes orange ; bill green at base, tip yellow. 

 Feet brown. Total length 9 inches, wing 5|, tail 3§, culmen |. 



21. Ptilopus superbus. 



Columba superba, Temm. Pig. & Gall. torn. i. p. 277 (1813); 

 Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. xi. pt. 1, p. 64 (1819) ; Desm. Diet. Sc. Nat. 

 vol. xl. (1826) p. 337; Temm. & Kuip, vol. i. pi. 33. 



Columba cyanovirens, Less. Voy. Coq. pi. xlii. fig. 1 (1824) ; 

 Desm. Diet. Sc. Nat. vol. xl. (1826) p. 343 ; Less. Trait. Ornith. 

 (1831) p. 471 ; Knip & Prev. Pig. vol. ii. pi. 8, ? . 





