PHLQOuENAS JOHANME, Sclater.
VScW.Biat del ethfft,.
PHLOGCENAS JOHANN^E, Sclater.
Mrs. Sclater’s Ground-Dove.
Phlogwncts johannte, Sclater, P. Z. S. 18/7, p. 112, pi. 16.
D r Sclater, in describing th e present bird (named in compliment to his wife), remarks : - “ The nearest
species known seem to be P . s ta in , of the Samoans, from which, however, P .jo A a n m , may he known by its
lovely pure white breast, and P . cam from . Ha rd . & Finsch, of the Pelew group (Jo u rn . Mus. Godeffr. vui.
p 27 pi. v. fig- 1). in which the hind p a rt o f the neck is rusty red.”
Unfortunately we do not know the exact habitat of this pretty Ground-Dove. I t was sent by Mr. George
B r o w n , in a collection Of birds from th e Duke-of-York Island, New Britain, and New Ire lan d ; but from
which o f these three localities P . J o h a n n a procured was not indicated when the specimens were sent
home.
T h e following is a translation of D r. Sclater’s description o f the species :
A d u lt Dusky chestnut, washed on the back with bronze; lesser wing-coverts externally shining pu rp le;
head aud neck all round, as well as the breast, pale grey, this colour darker on the crown, clearer on the
breast, aud passing off into pure white ; occiput, like the back, washed with bronze ; the white colour o f the
breast arranged in a semicircle, and g irt by a purple margin, as on the wing-coverts; primaries uniform
dusky black, the secondaries and the scapulars externally uniform with the b a c k ; tail above uniform with
the back, underneath blackish; round the eye a bare sp a ce ; feet red. Total length 7 '8 inches, wing 4 4,
'^The^ligures8 in the Plate are drawn from the typical birds, kindly lent me by Dr. S c la te r; they are now
in the collection o f the Marquis o f Tweeddale.