PHLOGCENAS JOBIENSIS, Meyer.
White-chested Pigeon.
Phlogcenas jobiensis, Meyer, Mitth. Zool. Mus. Dresden, i. p. 10 (1875).—Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc., Zool. xiii.
p. 318
Chalcophaps margarithce, D’Alb. et Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Gen. vii. p. 836 (1875).
---------------margarita, Salvadori, op. cit. ix. pp. 44, 207 (1876).
Phlogcenas margarita, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. viii. p. 405 (1876).—Sclater, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 111.
Chalcophaps jobiensis, D’Alb. et Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. ix. p. 207 (1876).
T h i s truly beautiful species of Ground-Dove was described almost simultaneously by Dr. Meyer in Dresden
and by Signor D’Albertis and Count Salvadori in Turin. That the adult bird described by the two latter
gentlemen from South-eastern New Guinea should not have been recognized as the same as D r. Meyer’s
species from Jobi is not surprising, as the latter was described from an immature bird. Thanks to Dr.
Meyer’s kindness, however, I have been enabled to give a figure o f the typical b ird ; and there can be no
doubt, on comparing it with the adult specimen also figured by me, th at P. margaritce and P . jobiensis
belong to one and the same species, in which case I believe th at the latter title possesses a slight priority
of publication over the former. Even if this conclusion had been formed in this country alone, the specimens
alluded to are almost sufficient to have settled the question ; but a similar conclusion has been arrived
at quite independently by Count Salvadori, who has examined an adult specimen from the island o f Jobi,
which was identical with others from South-eastern New Guinea. The range o f this species therefore extends
from the island o f Jo b i to New Guinea, and to Duke-of-York Island or New Ireland to the eastward.
Unfortunately Mr. Brown has not given the exact locality o f the specimens which he sent to Dr. Sclater.
I t would appear to be found over the greater p a rt of New Guinea, as Beccari procured an adult bird at
Wandammen, in the Bay o f G eelvink; and several specimens were contained in D’Albertis’s collection from
Yule Island and the opposite coast o f New Guinea. H ere he met with it a t Naiab u i; and it was also obtained
a t Po rt Moresby by Mr. Stone.
The present species is closely allied to P . erythroptera, o f the Society Islands, which, however, is a smaller
bird, and is distinguished by its white forehead. I take the accompanying description from the original
paper o f S ignor D ’Albertis and Count Salvadori.
Head, neck, rump, and upper tail-coverts blackish g re y ; lores, a streak over the eye, fore neck, and upper
part o f b reast pure w h ite ; a streak under the eye, drawn from the base of the lower mandible as far as the
neck, blackish g r e y ; dorsal plumes, scapulars, and upper wing-coverts dusky black, margined with shining
violet; sides o f the breast black, the edges o f the feathers v io le t; lower breast, abdomen, and under tail-
coverts dusky black, the middle o f the lower breast and o f the abdomen somewhat a sh y ; quills d u sky; tail
blackish grey, slightly paler a t the t ip ; bill b la c k ; feet dull dusky red.
In the Plate an old and young bird are represented, of about the natural size, the latter being Dr.
Meyer’s type specimen, the adult being drawn from a fine specimen collected by Mr. Octavius Stone and
kindly lent to me by th at gentleman.