176 ON THE GENUS PTILOPUS. 



and even specimens where nearly the whole of the green of the bird is 

 slightly bronzed. Dr. Meyer supposes these differences to be nothing but 

 individual variations, depending on some unknown cause, and that they have 

 no reference to age or sex. 



As to the appearance of the handsome adornment of the underparts, the 

 same gentleman tells me that his specimens teach that already the young 

 males show traces of the violet, yellow, and white colours, the violet of the 

 belly appearing first here and there, and gradually forming a patch, and only 

 in the quite adult bird occupying nearly the whole abdomen ; the yellow at 

 first does not form a band, but is only a patch in the middle ; and the white 

 gradually develops itself below the yellow. 



Dr. Meyer finally says that the yellow of the thoracic band in some 

 specimens of P. speciosus appears to be deeper than in P. hellus. 



Mr. Sclater (P. Z. S. 1873, p. 696) remarks, under the head of Ptilopus 

 hellus : — 



" This fine Pigeon belongs to the group of P. rivolii, P. prasinorrhous, 

 and its allies. It seems to resemble P. speciosus of Schlegel (Ned. Tijdsch. 

 Dierk. iv. p. 23) in having the upper part of the thoracic band yellow, but 

 differs much from that species in having the whole crown of the head of a 

 fine rosy red, like the patch in the middle of the abdomen." 



In the composition of this article, I have to thank Dr. Meyer for much 

 valuable assistance. 



I conclude my remarks on the handsomest Pigeon in existence 

 (P. speciosus~), with P. hellus, by expressing a hope that some traveller, urged 



