270 ORNITHOLOGY. 



lection of the Expedition, and were obtained in the Island of Tahiti. 

 The difference between the sexes consists in the rather smaller size 

 and less vivid colors of the female, though their general appearance is 

 very similar. 



Mr. Peale observes of this bird : 



" The voice of this species is a simple coo-coo-coo, uttered slowly, at 

 regular intervals, and is much softer than that of the Coral Island 

 Dove. It is not so sprightly in its movements, and the forked tail 

 immediately distinguishes it from all others. It delights in sitting on 

 some dead branch, in the shady recesses of the woods, most commonly 

 one overhanging a path in moist ground." 



This is the species properly entitled to the name Colnmha imrpu- 

 rata. It was first described by Latham, in Synopsis of Birds, II, pt. 

 11, p. G26, "from a specimen from Otaheite." Gmelin merely gave 

 the scientific appellation, as above, on the faith of Latham's descrip- 

 tion ; and, it is a matter of no consequence what errors may have 

 been made subsequently by authors, or however inconvenient those 

 may have been found by their successors, this name ought to stand 

 good for this species and no other. The investigation of the group of 

 Pigeons of this genus is undoubtedly sufficiently difficult on account 

 of the resemblance of the species to each other, but naturalists have 

 much increased it by hastily adopting names or applying new ones. 

 To such extent, in fact, have these been practised in this group, that 

 we have been almost inclined to despair of any approximation to 

 success in an attempt to unravel the intricacies of the nomenclature 

 of the few species in the collection of the Expedition. We feel rather 

 well assured, however, that no author that we have yet met with has 

 accomplished anything very considerable towards bringing together 

 the synonyms, or in establishing the correct names in this group, and 

 are by no means certain that the matter is improved at all by the 

 Prince Bonaparte, in his late Monograph in Conspectus Avium. 



The original description of this bird is by Latham, as stated above, 

 in General Synopsis of Birds, II, p. 626, in which he states explicitly, 

 this was described from a specimen from Otaheite." It is true that 

 this author falls into error immediately when he saj's : " but I find of 

 these birds great varieties, according to the different islands from 

 which they are brought, for they inhabit the whole of the Pacific 

 Ocean within the tropics," but his description applies exactly to the 



