66 COUNT T. SALVADORi ON MR. elliot's [Jan. 14, 



half of the crown rosy red, the green feathers of the upper parts dusty 

 greyish, as if they were powdered, and the under tail-coverts of a 

 light yellow. P. miqueli has the anterior part of the crown purplish 

 red, the feathers of the upper parts of a pure, not dusty-greyish 

 green, and the under tail-coverts of a brighter yellow. Mr. Elliot 

 believes that the type specimen of P. strophium is faded upon the 

 forehead ; but he has overlooked that the figure of the same, published 

 in Jardine's 'Contributions to Ornithology' when the bird was newly 

 brought to London, shows the same rosy colour of the crown as it 

 now has after twenty-eight years. 



The second specimen named P. strophium in the British Museum, 

 which was bought from M. Verreaux, without any locality, has the 

 forehead purplish red, and certainly belongs to P. miqueli. 



54. Ptilopus bellus. 



Although this species has the pectoral baud yellow and white, 

 like P. speciosus, I do not think that this is its nearest ally, but rather 

 P. prasinorrhous, in which sometimes the white pectoral band is more 

 or less tinged with light yellow. Besides that, P. speciosus, unlike 

 any other species, instead of having the crown purple, has only two 

 purple spots in front of the eyes, and the abdomen of a beautiful lilac. 



56. Ptilopxts johannis. 



Certainly this bird has its nearest ally in P. speciosus, having the 

 abdomen lilac ; but, unhke any other species, it has the breast-band 

 all yellow, and the top of the head lilac like the abdomen. 



59. Ptilopus puella. 



70. Ptilopus assimilis. 



71. Ptilopus magnificus. 



I must state that, notwithstanding the contrary opinion of Mr, 

 Elliot, 1 think that these species, and a fourth lately discriminated by 

 me, should be referred to a distinct genus from Ptilopus, i. e. to 

 Megaloprepia, Rclib., the type of which is Coliimba magnifica, Temra. 



If Reichenbach included in the same genus Ptilopus perlatiis, 

 Temm., which certainly does not belong to it, that is not a good 

 reason ior completely discarding the genus, which, according to me, 

 is perfectly recognizable by the rather long tail of the birds, the uni- 

 form colour of the same, the first primary not attenuated, and the 

 peculiar colouring of the different members. It is not by taking 

 these characters separately, but combined as they are, that the generic 

 value of the group appears evident. 



Then Mr. Elliot seriously questions if the three races mentioned 

 should be continued as distinct species. To maintain this he begins 

 by saying that " they only differ in size," which is not exact ; and 

 the proof of this we have from Mr. Elliot himself, who a few hues 

 below says : — " The specimens of the smallest race, called P. 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 



