374 



Notes on the Didunculus Strigirostris. 



[No. 4, 



The manu-mea is strictly a ground pigeon, giving preference to the 

 thickly wooded sides of the mountains, which, when these birds were 

 plentiful, they traversed in flocks from ten to twenty in number feed- 

 ing upon various berries, and particularly upon the mountain plantain 

 for which they had a great liking. 



When forced to take wing, they fose with a great flapping noise 

 which was so characteristic that even up to the present time the 

 saying, " as noisy as a manu-mea," is common among the natives. 



The only note observed by Mr. Williams is a low plaintive cry 

 something resembling that of a chicken, but not so shrill, nor repeated 

 so often. The specimen which Mr. Williams has, is now about the 

 size of our common domesticated pigeon, but as it is yet quite a young 

 bird, it will probably grow much larger. 



The natives still keep up the practice of pigeon feasting, and are 

 using their best endeavours to exterminate the little brown ground 

 dove, peculiar to the Navigator's Group, although at present this 

 species still seems to be very plentiful. 



In the photograph there is apparently a sort of crest on the head of 

 the bird, this is caused by a gathering from the bird knocking himself 

 about in its cage, it is only the feathers sticking out from the top of 

 the head. 



Didunculus Strigirostris. 

 Bill orange yellow at base, light horn colour nearing the tip, which 

 is almost white with a dark line down the ridge, skin round the eye 

 cere, fleshy orange very like the ordinary colour of Pigeon's feet, feet 

 of colour more like the base of the bill. In the young bird the head 

 and neck are dull slaty blue with a tinge of metalic green ; breast dull 

 dirty brown, abdomen same colour, tail and upper tail coverts, middle 

 of back deep chestnut brown ; wings brown, many feathers barred with 

 red deep chestnut. The iris hazel brown ; skin round the eye, fleshy 

 orange. The second bird was very like the adult specimens figured 

 in Gould's works, but not so bright. 



