CARPOPHAGA VAN-WYCKII, Cass. 
Van Wyck^s Fruit-Pig'eon. 
Carpophaga van-wyckii, Cass, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1862, p. 320. — Pelz. Novara Reis., Vog. p. 107 (1865). 
Salvad. Aim. Mus, Civ. Genov, ix. p. 200, no. 41 (1876). — Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1877, p. 109 ; 1878, 
pp. 289, 671. — Salvad. Monogr. Sottogen. Globicera, p. 5 (1878). — Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N, S. W. 
iii. p. 292 (1878), iv. pp. 73, 101 (1879).— Salvad. Ibis, 1879, p. 326.— Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879, 
pp. 218, 447, 451.— Layard, Ibis, 1880, pp. 297, 301.— Salvad. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucclie, iii. 
p. 87 (1882). 
Globicera vamvyckii, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, ii. p. 229, sp. 9184 (1870). 
Carpophaga wickei, Giebel, Thes. Orn. i. p. 588 (1872). 
Carpophaga microcera, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. i. p. 372 (1876). 
Carpophaga rhodinolcema, Finsch (nec Sclater), Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879, p. 13. 
The greatest uncertainty lias long prevailed regarding the distinctness of this species from C. pistrinunu 
of the Solomon Islands. C. mn-wycldi was discovered by Lient. Van WycU, of the United States Navy, in 
New Ireland, and specimens have more recently been obtained in Duke of York Island by the Rev. G. 
Brown and Dr. Kleinschmidt, as well as in Pigeon Island, New Britain, and Palaknra, by Mr. L. C. Layard. 
Mr. E. P. Ramsay also records it from Deboyne Island and Bramble Haven in tbe Lonisiade Group and 
even from South Cape in South-eastern New Guinea. It will be seen, therefore, that its range is somewhat 
extensive, and there would be nothing surprising in the fact that the Solomon Island Carpophaga was 
precisely identical ; and that this is the case has been suggested by Count Salvadori. We have ourselves 
compared a specimen from New Britain with one from San Christoval, and we find that, although the 
resemblance is close, there are sufficient characters to recognize C. van-ioyckii from C. pistrmaria. The 
difference consists in the dusky grey character of the ujiper plumage iu C. pistrmaria, \y\\\Q\\ has little or 
no green gloss, while the hind neck and mantle are scarcely distinguishable from the rest of the back. In 
C. mn-wyckii tbe vinous grey hind neck and mantle contrast strongly with the rest of the back, which has 
a very distinct gloss of bronzy green. 
The following is a description of an adult female, taken from a New Britain specimen iu the British 
Museum : — 
Adult female. General colour above pale bronzy green, with a slight sliade of purplish blue on the rum]) 
and upper tail-coverts ; lesser wing-coverts pale bronzy green ; primary-coverts and quills blackish, the 
primaries ashy grey externally, glossy green at the ends ; secondaries also externally grey, but also glossed 
with green, the innermost like the back ; tail-feathers black, with a purple gloss, green on the outer edges ; 
crown of head delicate pearly grey ; hind neck and mantle pearly grey wdth a strong vinaceous tinge, 
especially on the sides of the neck, the grey of the mantle merging into the green of the back ; base of 
forehead dull white ; lores pearly grey, fading into pale vinous ; feathers round eye white ; sides of face, 
ear-coverts, cheeks, throat, sides of neck, fore neck, and chest pale delicate vinaceous ; breast and remainder 
of under surface pale pearly grey, with a vinaceous tinge ; under tail-coverts vinous chestnut; under wing- 
coverts and axillaries delicate pearly grey like the sides of the body ; quills below ashy browm, paler along 
the inner edge. Total length 14’5 inches, culmen T15, wing 8‘9, tail 5'3, tarsus TO. 
The figure in the Plate is life-sized, and is drawn from the specimen described above. 
[R. B. S.] 
