NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXIII. 1910. 341 



THE DISTRIBUTION OF QOLUMBA GYMNOPHTEALMA. 



By ERNST HARTERT, Ph.D. 



Anted, p. 87, 1 discussed the name and distribution of Columba gymnophthalma. 

 While I still adhere to the fact, that Jacqnin's name " Col. corensis " is not accept- 

 able for this species, I must admit that any argument based on the non-occurrence of 

 the species on the mainland of South America cannot hold, for the simple reason 

 that it does occur not only in Venezuela, but also in Colombia. When I wrote my 

 note, I was not aware that in the recent rich collections received in the United States 

 from South America, this Pigeon is represented from various localities. Now 

 Mr. W. E. Clyde Todd writes to me : " In our collection (i.e. the Carnegie Museum) 

 there are two specimens from Tocuyo iu Venezuela, and three from the Santa Marta 

 district in Colombia. Besides these, I have examined a specimen from the latter 

 locality and another from Bsiranquilla, in the collection of the American Museum of 

 Natural History. These mainland specimens are in no wise different from a series 

 from Curasao with which I have been able to compare them." These occurrences 

 were not known, as far as I am aware, when I wrote my article, which ajjpeared in 

 April. In a more recent letter, however, Mr. Todd tells me that they are recorded 

 on p. 322 of the last volume (Part VII) of Ridgway's Birds of North and Middle 

 America, which appeared in May. This valuable volume, which was issued May 

 5th, has just arrived at the Tring Museum (August 14th). I find that Mr. Ridgway 

 agrees with me in rejecting the name covensis as doubtful, and that he accepts 

 gymnophthalma; he calls the species Crossophthalmus gyttinophthalmos, but hitherto 

 he stands almost alone in the splitting up of the genus Columba. He gives the 

 distribution as follows : 



" Arid Caribbean coast of Venezuela (Porlamär, Tocuyo) and Colombia (Baran- 

 quilla, Taganga, Gaira and Donjaro, Santa Marta) and adjacent islands of 

 Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, Margarita, and Blanquilla; St. Thomas, Greater Antilles 

 (introduced ?)." 



Of all the mainland localities only one was formerly recorded, i.e. " Taganga, 

 Santa Marta," which Allen made known in 1900 ; it was overlooked by Mr. Chubb 

 and myself. 



