30 MESSRS. HARTLAUB AND FINSCH [Jail. 3, 



This typical Aplonis is so distinct in coloration and size that it 

 can hardly be confounded with any other species. We need not, 

 therefore, give any comparison. 



3. Ptilinopus rarotongensis, sp. nov. 



Supra psittacino-viridis ; pileo intense violascenti-roseo, stride 

 flavo circumdato, fronte pallide fuscescente ; scapularibus et 

 alarum tectricibus saturate viridibus, marginibus externis dilute 

 Jlavis ; remigibus nigris, late viridi marginatis ; subalaribus 

 cinereo et Jlavido variis ; rectricibus duabus mediis viridibus, 

 reliquis pogonio externo viridibus, interno griseo-nigricantibus, 

 omnibus apice late canescente, Jlavido limbato ; gula sordide 

 albida, colli lateribus, pectore superiore colloque postico dilute 

 ccerulescenti-cinereis, hinc inde virescenti-fiavido variis, pectore 

 inferiore abdomineque Jlavis, lateribus cinerascente adumbratis ; 

 macula indejinita epigastrii media vinaceo-purpurea ; subcau- 

 dalibus Jlavis ; rostro et pedibus plumbeis, Mo apice pallido ; 

 iride Jlava. 

 Long, circa 8\", rostr.a fr. 5|"', al. 5", caud. 3" 2'", tars. 11'". 

 Adult. Front and vertex purplish violet red, surrounded by a 

 narrow indistinct line of yellow ; occiput, sides of head, neck, crop, 

 and upper part of breast delicate grey, the feathers of the latter 

 bifurcated and with a pale yellow cross band ; chin and middle of 

 throat white, washed with pale yellow ; breast and remainder of under- 

 pays yellow, purer on the vent and under tail-coverts, paler on the 

 anal region ; the sides washed with pale greyish green, the same as 

 the feathered tarsus ; on the middle of the lower portion of the 

 breast a large spot of dark purplish red; back and upper parts vivid 

 grass-green ; primaries and their coverts on the outer web and end 

 brilliant dark green, with a very narrow but distinct white margin, 

 the inner web black ; secondaries also dark green, but with a somewhat 

 broader yellow margin along the outer web ; coverts of the second- 

 aries dark green, narrowly margined externally and at the end with 

 yellow ; larger shoulder-coverts brilliant dark green, broadly mar- 

 gined at the end with grass-green ; wing beneath ashy grey ; under 

 wing-coverts delicate grey like the neck ; tail dark green with a broad 

 greyish- white end ; the feathers, except the two middle ones, are 

 on the inner web dark grey, crossed above the white end by a 

 blackish cross band ; the white end is margined narrowly with pale 

 yellow ; tail beneath dark grey, at the end broadly white. 



Bill plumbeous, tipped with pale horn-colour ; feet reddish brown ; 

 nails dark. 



"Irides yellow; bill brownish yellow; legs purple red." {Gar- 

 rett.) 



In the young bird the vertex and hind neck are green, like the 

 back ; front and forehead covered with a pale violet-purple patch ; 

 sides of head and neck grey washed with green, the crop and upper 

 portion of breast with greenish yellow ; the underparts are of a less 

 brilliant yellow ; the sides darker greyish-green ; the red pectoral 

 patch is indicated only by some dirty purplish feathers ; the pale 



