Birds of Celebes: Columbidae. g4J 



Celebes, whereas in Sula it is considered by Major Wardlaw llamsay and 

 Salvadori to be smaller. Spiloniis nifipectus and Turacoena manadensia are also 

 reduced in size in Sula. M. aJhicapilla is very similar to M. amhoinensis (L.) of 

 the Moluccas ^Ceram group), which Salvadori (a 7) distinguishes by its having 

 the forehead reddish and not whity-grey, the crown and occiput vinaceous and 

 not grey, the hind neck more decidedly green, less golden and less glossed with 

 purple, and the under tail-coverts of a cinnamon-rufous colour more intense and 

 uniform. M.kei/ensis ^Vilv^iA., M.maforensis ^qIvslA., of Kei and Mafoor, respect- 

 ively, and M. doreya Bp. of New Guinea and some of the neighbouring N.W. 

 Islands are also forms nearly related to M. aJhicapilla. M. macassariensis Wall, 

 of South Celebes (not known from the North) may be distinguished, as Major 

 Ramsay shows, by its mouse-brown upper surface and the absence in the male 

 of metallic colours, the sexes being presumably similar; also it is much larger. 



M. albicapilla contrasts with the other Pigeons of Celebes in having the 

 sexes dissimilar, and a third plumage, much resembling that of the female, for 

 the young. Also, although some allowance must be made for differences in 

 age, it is unquestionably subject to much individual variation, while the other 

 Pigeons seem to be very stable. The genus Macropycpa seems to mark a low 

 type of Pigeon; in Celebes it seems to be regarded as a sort of Cuckoo. 



Dr. Platen (a 11) remarks that M. aJhicapilla is the only Pigeon that ven- 

 tures to approach human settlements, where it is always to be seen in pairs. 

 Major Wardlaw Ramsay writes that the members of the genus are "very par- 

 tial to open glades and clearings in dense forest, especially when covered with 

 a secondary growth of low scrubby jungle . . . Their food is composed of seeds 

 and berries, one very favourite fruit being the Chilli [Capsicum fastigiatum), of 

 which they consume an enormous quantity". 



i * 277. MACROPYGIA MACASSARIENSIS (Wall.). 



Southern Cuckoo-dove. 



a. Maeropygia amhoinensis var. macassariensis (1) Wall, Ibis 1865, 389. 



Macropygia macassariensis (1) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, VHI, 85; (2) Wardl. Earns., Ibis 

 1890, 240; (3) Salvad., Cat. B. XXI, 1893, 343; (4) Biittik., Zool. Erg. Weber's 

 Reise in Ost-Iiid. Ill, 1893, 287; (5) Hart, Nov. Zool. 1896, 180. 



b. Macropygia albicapilla, part. (1) Meyer, Iljis 1879, 137; (2) ?Guillem., P. Z. S. 1885, 



558 (specim. e. f.); (3) W. Bias., Ztschi-. ges. Orn. 1886, 133, 179. 



For further references cf. Salvadori 3. 



Descriptions. Wardl. Ramsay 2, Salvadori 3, Bixttikofer 4. 



Adult. Above bistre-brown, with a chestnut shade on the wing-coverts, greyer brown on 

 head, neck and mantle, the neck and mantle minutely freckled with pale buff; sides 

 of head grey-brown, whitish on chin and throat; remaining under parts buff, 

 barred with brown, ahnost clear of bars on the lower abdomen and crissiun; inner 

 under wing-coverts, and axillaries cinnamon-rufous, inner edges of remiges below 

 washed with the same; tail broccoli-bro-mi, tip whitish, the outermost pan- of rectrices 



Meyer & Wigl es worth , Bir.ls of Cclobes (Nov. 2:lr>i, ly.iT). 81 



