II 



626 



Birds of Celebes: Treronidae. 



have any near allies; perhaps it approaches Ducula [a Carpophagine grou]) 

 ranging from India to the Sunda Islands] more than any other generic or sub- 

 generic group; the long and nearly graduated tail is very conspicuous, also the 

 under tail-coverts with dark centres". The unusually long tarsal feathers, cover- 

 ing the bone down to the base of the toes, is another peculiarity. Among 

 C'elebesian birds it resembles in some ways C. rosacea, which is distinguishable by 

 its chestnut under tail-coverts and pale vinous head. 



In the "Catalogue of the Pigeons", 1893, Count Salvadori recognises 4H 

 species of the genus Carpophaga, forms varying of course very much in value, 

 some being only well-marked local races, others very distinct. While maintaining, 

 and amending where necessary, the subdivisions of Bonaparte and others, Count 

 Salvadori does not pull this uniform body of Pigeons to pieces, but, by a 

 considerate application of the term "subgenus", he draws attention to the different 

 groups of which the genus is composed and their relation to one another, using 

 names indeed for signs, but not separating the groups under these names from 

 Carpophaga. For this the student is grateful to the writer of the Catalogue; he 

 sees at once that he has to do with a characteristic group of birds and soon 

 becomes aware of the class of factors of which it is composed. 



Carpophaga ranges from India to the Solomons and Fiji, and, in point of 

 number of species, Papuasia is the richest division of its range. In peculiar 

 forms, however, the Island of Celebes and the Philippines are the best off. 

 Count Salvadori finds indeed that three subgenera occur in Celebes, and a like 

 number in Papuasia and in the Philippines, but his subgenus Zonophaps is a 

 somewhat heterogeneous one and falls naturally into three groups, two of which 

 occur in Celebes. The following key shows the distribution of the subdivisions 

 of Carpophaga : 



Subgenera 





t3 



a 



3 



c5 



ft 

 g. 



.a 



Ph 



o 



Ph 



■ * 



.... * 



Carpophaga 



Ptihcolpa 



Zonophaps 



a. ( C. forsteni-iy]^e] 



h. [C. radiata-type) 



c. [C. basilicar-type) 



Ducula 



Cryptophaps 



Zonoenas 



Under the circumstances it would not be safe, with our present knowledge, 

 to attempt to trace the Carpophagine population of Celebes to a source in either 

 the Indian or Papuan Zoological Regions; on the other hand, it apjjears as likely 



