1888.] HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 521 



the fine bronze-green of the nape, and in front becoming paler 

 towards the base of the bill, the most anterior feathers being 

 almost white. The nostrils are oval and point upwards and out- 

 wards. 



Carpophaga tohartoni is a very abundant bird on the island, and 

 as it was excellent eating and very tame, a large number were shot. 

 It is about the size of the Wood-Pigeon (Oolumba livia). The 

 general colour is dark, with rich metallic green and bronze lights on 

 the back, dark purphsh slate below, and conspicuous chestnut under 

 tail-coverts. 



A young bird vrhich was shot resembled the adult in plumage. 



They give a long croo-croo-croo, rather low. There is another 

 note which we very frequently heard in the woods, and which I do 

 not doubt was made by these birds, though I never succeeded in 

 seeing one make the noise. It was a deep sound, like the distant 

 lowing of cattle, do-o-o-o-o-o, and sometimes dooooo — too-dooo — too- 

 doo — too-doo. 



During the day the birds would often sit motionless for a long 

 time among the high leafy branches, occasionally uttering the low 

 notes. Towards sunset they congregated on the trees that were in 

 fruit to feed. The stomachs (which are thin-walled) contained 

 various fruits. 



The oil-gland is bare of feathers. The gizzard is thin-walled, and 

 the lateral opposing surfaces are covered with thin horny scales \ 

 The intestine is capacious (the duodenum is ] inch in diameter 

 when flattened out) ; it is 27g inches in length, and the caeca are 

 absent. The ambiens muscle, though present, is rudimentary, being 

 reduced to a slender band of muscle, less than 2 millim. in breadth, 

 which arises by a tendinous origin from the pelvis immediately below 

 the acetabulum, and ends in a delicate tendon which traverses the 

 extensor tendon of the knee in the usual manner. 



This is a quite distinct species from the others making up the 

 large genus Carpophaga. Its closest ally appears to be C. vanwycki, 

 Cass., a wide-rauging Pacific form apparently, as it is recorded in Gray's 

 •Hand-list' from New Island (S.W. of the Society Islands), while a 

 specimen in Canon Tristram's collection is from Duke of York Island 

 (north of the Samoa group). With this it agrees in the shape of 

 the bill and nostrils and the colour and arrangement of the feathers 

 at the base of the bill, in the fine texture of the feathers on the neck, 

 the absence of an abrupt change of colour between the neck and 

 back, and, though this is a common feature, in the chestnut under 

 tail-coverts. C. whurtoni differs from C. vanwycki, however, in the 

 following; characters : — 



1. The much darker colour of the head, nape, and underparts, 

 which are in C. vanivycki delicate pale grey. 



' Mr. Thiselton Dyer, who has very kindly undertiiken the exa\nination of 

 the seeds contained iu the gizzard of this Pigeon and of the Chalcophaps, tells me 

 that they consist, in this bird, of the fruits of the higli " buttressed tree " 

 {Eugenia), of a sapotaceous plant, possibly Bideroxylon, and of an araUaceous 

 plant not contained in the collection. 



