PTILOPUS RIYOLII.
Massena Fruit-Pigeon.
Columba rivoli, Knip & Prev. Pigeons, ii. pi. 57 ; Des Murs, Iconogr. Ornith. pi. 4 (1845).
Iotreron rivollii, Bp. Consp. Gen. Ay. ii. p. 25 (1857).
Ionotreron rivollii, Reichenb. Taub. p. 100, Taf. 235. fig. 1306.
Ptilonopus rivoli, Wall. Ibis, 1865, p. 381.
Ptilonopus solomonensis, Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. v. p. 328 (1870).
Ptilopus rivolii, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 109—Elliot, P.Z. S. 1878, p. 561—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov,
ix. p. 196 (1877); id. xii. p. 345 (1878).
Considerable uncertainty has existed with regard to the exact locality where this Fruit-Pigeon was to be
found ; but one may now accept as a fact th at it inhabits Duke-of-York Island, whence specimens have been
forwarded by Mr. Brown to Dr. S c late r; and future research will doubtless extend its range to New Ireland.
Mr. E lliot also believes th at it inhabits the Solomon Islands, as he considers th at the P . solomonensis described
by the late. Mr. G. R. Gray is only the young of P . rivolii.
The present bird belongs to the white-banded section o f the genus Ptilopus, which includes also P.prasinor-
rhous o f New Guinea and the neighbouring groups of islands, and P . strophium of the Louisiade archipelago.
The latter bird, however, has no rose-coloured spot on the abdomen, and is therefore easily distinguished.
P . prasinorrhous has the vent and under tail-coverts green, edged with yellow, whereas in P . rivolii these
parts a re bright yellow.
I transcribe the following detailed description given by Mr. Elliot in his paper on the genus :—
» Male. Forehead purplish r e d ; breast crossed by a broad white b a n d ; a large rose-red spot on the
abdomen ; lower p a rt o f abdomen, crisssum, and under tail-coverts bright yellow; res t o f plumage bright
green, with some small, round, bluish-black spots on the scapulars. In its dimensions this species agrees
with P . prasinorrhous.
“ Female. General plumage bright green.”
I am indebted to Dr. Sclater for the loan of the beautiful pair o f birds of which I have drawn life-sized
figures in the accompanying Plate. They were collected in Duke-of-York Island by Mr. G. Brown; and I
have other specimens from the same source in my own collection.