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PTILOPUS BELLUS, $clate?\
Purple-bellied Fruit-Pig’eon.
Ptilonopus bellus, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 696, pi. 57.—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov, vii. p. 786 (1875).
Ptilopus bellus, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov, ix. p. 197 (1876), x. p. 157 (1877).—Elliot, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 563.
T he elaborate monograph recently compiled by Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Fruit-Pigeons of the genus Ptilopus
renders a study o f this numerous group a much easier task than it has been for many years p a s t; and I must
acknowledge the help which I have derived from th at treatise o f the above-named author, whose industry and
devotion to ornithological science have been proved by the many valuable papers and works which have
issued from his pen during the last few years.
The subject o f the accompanying Plate is one o f the most beautiful o f all the Ptilopi, which contain such
a number o f strikiugly marked Fruit-Pigeons, many o f them endeared to me by old Australian recollections
and by the pleasure with which I look forward to illustrating all the varied forms o f F ruit-Pigeons inhabiting
the Malay archipelago. The Ptilopus bellus was first discovered by Signor D ’Albertis during his celebrated
expedition to North-western New Guinea, in A tam ; and it has since been procured in the Arfak Mountains
by M. Laglaize, and a t Amberbaki by M. Raffray; so th at the habitat o f the present species would appear to
be the north-western corner o f New Guinea, particularly the vicinity o f the Arfak Mountains. It' belongs
to the section o f the genus Ptilopus which contains species having a broad white or yellow breast-band: in
the case o f the present bird and its near ally P. speciosus, the breast-band is lemon-yellow above, white
ben eath ; and it is distinguished from the latter species by the forehead and crown being rosy red instead of
green, and by the abdominal spot being purplish red instead of lilac. I t is also a larger bird than the nearly
allied species.
Mr. Elliot, from whose synoptic table the above characters have been derived, gives the following
description o f the species :—
“ Male. Fro n t and crown deep rosy r e d ; occiput dark bluish green ; breast covered by a broad halfmoon
shaped band, pure white on the lower parts and sides, lemon-yellow on the upper p a r t ; the abdomen
has the middle portion covered by a purplish red patch ; entire rest of plumage yellowish green, with small,
round, bluish-black spots on the scapulars, and the feathers o f the crissum and under tail-coverts edged with
yellow; primaries greenish black, the first not narrowed ; tail yellowish green, with a pale apical band of
the same c o lo u r; bill yellow; feet dark r e d ; iris yellow. Total length 9 t inches, wings 3 f , tail 3f-,
culmen
Signor D ’Albertis describes the bill as yellow, the feet as dull crimson, and the eyes as yellow.
The Plate represents the type specimen, kindly lent to me by Dr. Sclater during its stay in this country.
It is now in the Genoa Museum.