522 MR. J. J. LISTER ON THE NATURAL [DcC. 4, 



2. The dark metallic colours of the back are not washed with 

 grey. 



3. It is a larger bird, the wing measuring 10 inches (against 9|). 

 C.vanwycki is included in Gray's ' Hand-list ' in the section of the 



genus named Globicera, but there is no sign of the tumidity at the 

 base of the bill in it or in C. whartoni. This section includes some 

 ten species which, with the exception of C. myristicivora, which 

 ranges over the whole Indian Archipelago, are confined to the 

 Austro-Malay and the Pacific Islands. 



Chalcophaps natalis, sp. n. 



Inter C. indicam et C. stephani media ; C. indicse similis, sed 

 rostro fortiore, macula pallida ales minore, femince uropygio, 

 supra- et subcaudalibus fuscis, haud nigris. A C. stephani 

 differt maris fronte albida, et tergo et alis ceneo-viridibus. 



This is also an abundant species ; until the last day of our stay in 

 Flying-Fish Cove I had supposed that this was, unlike the others, a 

 shy bird, as we had only come across it now and then, moving rest- 

 lessly among the trees. I expect, however, we had really overlooked it. 

 On that morning I had gone ashore to shoot good specimens of the 

 Merula and Zosterops for skinning. On one occasion I stood in one 

 place for about an hour, and during that time I saw three or four 

 pairs of this Pigeon. They were picking up fallen fruits from among 

 the brown and green leaves which were strewn beneath the trees ; 

 and here, where their brown and bronze-green plumage rendered them 

 inconspicuous, they were so tame that the only difficulty I had in 

 shooting them was to get far enough off" and yet not lose sight of 

 them among the crowded stems by the trees. Thus their habits 

 appear to be strikingly in accordance with their protective colouring. 

 In the trees, where their colour renders them conspicuous, they are 

 restless and easily alarmed ; while they appear to regard the ground 

 as a place of safety. 



Tiieir note is, I believe, a cooo-coo-cooo, with hardly any roll of 

 an r sound in it. 



This appears to be an intermediate form between C.indica{hmn.) 

 and 0. stephani (Homb. & Jacq.). 



Without giving a full account of it, I may point out that it 

 resembles 0. indica ', except in the following points : — 



1. The bill is stouter. 



2. The white and pale slate streak on the shoulder is smaller. 



3. The rump, upper and under tail-coverts of the female are 

 brown, not black. 



In the last character it agrees with C. stephani, but differs from it 

 in the following points : — 



1. The crown of the male is white, not uniform with the rest of 

 the head. 



2. The metallic green upper surfaces of the wings are united by 

 a broad band of green across the back, 



Chalcophaps indica ranges from Ceylon and India as far north as 

 ' Vide Legge's ' Birds of Ceylon,' p. 714. 



