332 



CHARADRIIFORMES 



CHAP. 



during the United States Exploring Expedition under Com- 

 mander "Wilkes, it has since been met with by several travellers 

 and missionaries, three living specimens having been exhibited 

 in the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London. By 1863 

 it was regarded as nearly extinct on Upolu, where it was formerly 

 abundant, though it still held its own on Savai ; but in 1874 

 an increase was reported from the latter island, which was 

 attributed to a change of habits, the birds having become 

 arboreal instead of terrestrial. 



The oldest accounts, derived from native sources, stated that 

 Didunculus was essentially a ground species, living on thickly- 



FlG. 67. — Manu-mea or Tooth-billed Pigeon. Didunculus strigirostris. 



wooded mountain-sides in flocks of about a dozen, and feeding on 

 berries, plantains (bananas), and yam fruit, while it roosted on 

 low stumps, and bred on the ground, being rather shy, and 

 taking to flight noisily with much flapping of the wings. Mr. 

 Whitmee ^ and others, however, tell us that it now feeds almost 

 exclusively on high trees, roosting aloft, and building in the 

 forks. But as early as 1852 Lieutenant Walpole ^ asserted that 

 the bird bred among rocks, perched and fed on trees, and flew 

 from wood to wood, or even from island to island, so that it is 

 not impossible that its supposed affinity to the Dodo led writers 

 astray, and that its fondness for the ground was greatly exagger- 

 ated. No doubt danger from introduced cats and rats would 

 force the nest to be placed higher. 



1 P.Z.S. 1874, pp. 183, 184. "^ Op. cit. 1852, p. 87. 



