166 



NESOENAS DUBOISI SP. NOV. 



"Pigeons sauvages d'un rouge roussastre" Le Sieur D.B., Voyages aux lies Dauphine ou 

 Madagascar, etc., p. 171 (1674 — Bourbon). 



TALKING of Wild Pigeons, " Le Sieur D.B." tells us that there were on 

 the island of Bourbon " others of a russet red colour, a little larger than 

 European pigeons, with the beak larger, red at base near the head, the 

 eyes surrounded by a fiery colour, as in the pheasants. At a certain season 

 they are so fat ' qu'on ne leur voit point de croupion ; ' they taste very good." 



This passage cannot be meant for a turtle-dove, but the description of 

 the bill and surrounding of the eyes shows that it refers to a form allied to 

 Nesoenas mayeri. The latter, however, is not entirely russet red, but the 

 head, neck, underside and back are creamy white, washed with a greyish-rose 

 colour. Therefore the bird mentioned by Le Sieur D.B. was evidently a repre- 

 sentative of N. mayeri or Bourbon. I name it in memory of Monsieur Dubois, 

 who was the author of the Voyages of the " Sieur D.B." 

 Habitat : Bourbon or Reunion. 



