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



and leave no characters by which the forms could be distinguished 

 apart. The specimens of the smallest race, called Pt. puella, which 

 are found in the island of Jobie and also at Mount Epa in the south 

 of New Guinea, have the under surface of the tail lighter in colour 

 than those from other localities, being blackish-grey instead of 

 blackish-brown. This, however, cannot be considered of any specific 

 importance, the geographical distribution alone forbidding the idea 

 that they could be designated as a fourth race ; for the Pt. puella is 

 known to dwell between the Jobie and Mount-Epa birds as well as 

 to the south of the latter, which fact is alone sufficient to preclude 

 the supposition that two species, or even races, are indicated by the 

 slight difference observable. For convenience I have kept the 

 synonymy of the three races distinct ; but they really should only be 

 regarded as representing but one species. 



C9. Ptilopus puella. 



Colombo, amarante, Less. Voy. Coq. (test), 1826, p. 711. 



Colombo, puella, Less. Bull. Sc. Nat. (1827) p. 400; id. Trait. 

 Ornith. (1831) p. 469 ; Kuip & Prev. Pig. vol. ii. pi. i. 



Carpophaga puella, Grav, List B. Brit. Mus. (1856) p. 21. sp. 

 18; Wall. Ibis, 1865, p. 388. 



Megaloprepia puella, Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. vol. ii. p. 40 ; Reich. 

 Taub. p. 102 ; id. Suppl. p. 203, nov. Taf. iv. fig. 41 ; Ramsay, 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1876, p. 118. 



Ptilopus puellus, Schleg. Mus. P.-Bas, 1873, p. 38, Columba. 



Megaloprepia puella, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. (1875) vol. 

 vii. p. 788, vol. iv. p. 199, (1877) vol. x. p. 158. 



Mapouha of the Papuans (Less.). 



Hab. Cape York, Australia (Ramsay) ; Mysol, Salwatty, Wai- 

 giou, Ghemien, New Guinea (Bernstein, Hoedt) ; Jobie (Yon Rosen- 

 berg) ; Dorey (Lesson) ; New Ireland (Lesson). 



The type of this species is in the Paris Museum. There are two 

 specimens, one from Dorey, New Guinea, and the other from New 

 Ireland, both of which were procured during the voyage of the 

 « Coquille.' 



Adult. Front and chin greyish white ; head and neck greenish 

 grey ; centre of throat and neck in front, and underparts to the 

 thighs, rich purplish red ; lower part of abdomen and crissum rich 

 yellow. Under tail-coverts greenish grey. Wings, back, and tail 

 bright grass-green. Upon the outer web of the wing-coverts are 

 some pale yellow spots forming a line along the wing. Bill yellow, 

 red at base ; iris orange- red ; feet yellow-green ; claws dusky. Total 

 length 13| inches, wing 6, tail 6-f-, culmen -|. Sexes alike. 



70. Ptilopus assimilis. 



Carpophaga assimilis, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1850, p. 201. 

 Megaloprepia assimilis, Bon. Compt. Rend. torn, xxxix. p. 1077 j 

 Reich. Taub. p. 102; id. Suppl. p. 203, nov. Taf. iv. figs. 42, 43 ; 



