No. 1.] THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD 23 



were common at Norfolk Island and I suspected confusion 

 had occurred on this account. That this was a reasonable 

 conclusion is evident from a study of these early descriptions 

 where Norfolk Island birds were localised as from Sydney, 

 and the " Norfolk Island Pigeon " so named by Latham is 

 the Sydney bird and not the Norfolk Island species. 



Dr. Godman has brought to my notice a book of paintings 

 in his possession made by Mr. George Raper who went to 

 Sydney in the ' Supply ;1 and returned in the " Waaksamheyd." 

 These paintings are of great interest as supplementing those 

 given in the narratives published, but most interesting of 

 all is a magnificent painting of the Pigeon of Lord Howe 

 Island. The other paintings of birds, animals and fishes are 

 beautiful and exact and consequently this picture must be so. 



Dr. Godman has given me permission to reproduce the 

 painting, which will give a better idea of the bird than a 

 detailed description. 



In coloration it will be seen to be very different from any 

 living species and it is impossible to exactly allot it to any 

 known genus. It is referable to the group of large Fruit- 

 Pigeons, but has no near relationship with Hemiphaga, the 

 extinct Pigeon of Norfolk Island, which was only subspecifically 

 separable from the existing New Zealand Pigeon. It recalls 

 much more the New Caledonian Phcenorhi?ia,Sbrid consequently 

 is of much greater value than might at first be anticipated. 

 The relationships of Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island 

 have long been a source of inquiry, and I have already noted in 

 this Journal, Vol. I., p. 121, 1912, my intention to fully discuss 

 these, but there indicated that the avian element of Lord 

 Howe Island was more certainly of New Caledonian origin 

 than Neozelanic. This newly-discovered painting is con- 

 firmatory evidence of an immensely strong character that my 

 views were correct. It certainly has no claim to Neozelanic 

 origin, while its nearest living relative seems to be a New 

 Caledonian bird. As noted above, it is impossible to place 

 it in any known genus or species, and I therefore propose 

 Rapebia, gen. no v. 



