1878.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE GENUS PTILOPUS. 543 



Columba superba, Wagl. Syst. Av. (1827) sp. 32, Columba. 



La Verte, Less. Compl. Buff. torn. iii. Ois. p. 29 (1837). 



La Poukiopou, Less. Compl. Buff. torn. iii. Ois. (1837). 



Ptilinopus leucogaster, Swains. Class. B. vol. ii. p. 347. 



Ptilinopus superbus, Steph. Gen. Zool. vol. xiv. p. 279. sp. 6 ; 

 Gould, B. Austr. vol. v. pi. lvii. 



Ptilonopus superbus, Gray, Gen. B. (1844-49) vol. ii. p. 467 ; id. 

 List B. Brit. Mus. (1856) p. 7; id. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 184; 

 id. List B. Trop. Isl. (1859) p. 39; id. List Mamm. and B. New 

 Guin. (1859) p. 46 ; Wall. Ibis, 1865, p. 379; Salvad. Ann. Mus. 

 Civ. Gen. (1875) vol. vii. p. 786. 



Ptilonopus cyanovirens, Gray, Gen. B. (1844-49) vol. ii. p. 467 ; 

 id. List B. Brit. Mus. (1856) p. 8. sp. 23 ; id. Cat. Mamm. and B. 

 New Guin. (1859) p. 47. 



Kurukuru superbus, Des Murs & Prev. Voy. Venus, p. 231 

 (1855). 



Lamprotreron superba, Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. (1857) vol. ii. p. 18 ; 

 Reich. Taubeu, p. 97, pi. 236 6. fig. 3366, 2, pi. 236. figs. 1316-17, 

 $ juv. ; Ibis (1866), p. 333; Ramsay, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1876, 

 p. 114. 



Cyanotreron cyanovirens, Bon. Compt. Rend. (1854) torn, xxxix. 

 p. 878 ; id. Consp. Av. vol. ii. p. 23 ; Reich. Tauben, p. 98, pi. 238. 

 fig. 1324. 



Ptilonopus {Lamprotreron) superbus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 1860, p. 360. 



Ptilopus superbus, Schleg. Mus. Pays-B. 1873, p. 30, Columba; 

 Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. (1877) vol. x. p. 158. 



Lamprotreron porphyrostictus, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 (1874) vol. xiii. p. 137,? 1 



Hab. Atnboyna, Ceram, Batchian, Gilolo, Waigiou, Mysol, Aru, 

 New Guinea (Wallace); Mount Arfak (Brujn.); Hahnahera, 

 Ternate, Batanta, Jobie (Bernstein, Von Rosenberg) ; Bouru, Sal- 

 watty (Hoedt) ; Amberbaki, Mafor (Raffray) ; New Hanover (Ca- 

 banis); Booby Islands (Gould) ; Cape York, Australia (Cockerell). 



As will be seen from the list given above, this species has received 

 many names. The two sexes have been described as distinct species, 

 and have been assigned to different genera! It has a wide dis- 

 tribution, having been procured as far to the eastward as New 

 Hanover, reaching Gilolo on the north, and Cape York, Australia, 

 on the south. In fact it is found generally throughout the Papuan 

 group of islands and along the northern part of New Guinea. As 

 it has been obtained at Mount Arfak and Amberbaki, and also on Sal- 

 watty on the west coast, it is probable that it will be ascertained to 

 inhabit the entire northern portion of New Guinea. According to 

 Mr. Ramsay, this bird is tolerably abundant in the scrub-lauds of 

 the Herbert River and coast-range. The note, which is a rolling 

 guttural " coo," may be heard half a mile off. The young resemble 

 somewhat those of Pt. swainsoni (reyina), but do not show the bifur- 

 cate breast-feathers before the end of the second year; but the green ' 

 bands on the flanks are conspicuous even in the nestling. The 



