GYMNOPHAPS PCECILORRHOA.
Rusty-banded Fruit-Pig-eon.
Carpophaga pcecilorrhoa, Brüggem. Abhandl. nat. Vereine zu Bremen, v. p. 84.
The genus Gymnophaps was instituted in 1874 by Count Salvadori; and the type is Gymnophaps albertisi, a
fine F ruit-Pigeon discovered a t Andei in North-western New Guinea by Signor D ’Albertis. Up to the time of
writing I have not seen th at species; and I am unable to say whether the bird which I figure on the accompanying
Plate is really congeneric with the Papuan Gymnophaps. My friend Dr. Meyer, who lends me the
specimen which I figure, has attached to it the name o f Gymnophaps pcecilorrhoa (B ru g g em .); and on
comparing Count Salvadori’s description o f the genus, which is remarkable for its bare loral patch extending
round the eye, I should say th at Dr. Meyer is quite right in placing the species in the genus Gymnophaps.
T h e present bird is remarkable for its very plain coloration, differing in this respect from the majority
o f the subfamily Carpophaginas, many o f which a re o f beautifully varied plumage. But though Gymnophaps
pcecilorrhoa is a somewhat dull-coloured bird, the monotony o f its plumage is slightly relieved by the bands
on the abdomen and the dark-centred under tail-coverts.
Nothing has yet been recorded o f the habits o r economy o f this strange P ig eo n ; nor do we know the
exact p a rt o f the island o f Celebes from which it comes. I t is probably from the south-eastern portion o f the
island, where D r. Fischer collected, as neither Mr. Wallace nor Dr. Meyer nor any o f the old Dutch
travellers appear to have come across the species in any of the places visited by them.
I append a full description o f the species :—
General colour above dusky brown shot with olive-green ; quills brown, with narrow reddish margins to
the outer web, as well as the greater wing-coverts; tail blackish, tipped with a narrow band o f buffy wh ite;
head dusky grey, somewhat more vinous on the hind neck, the forehead lighter g r e y ; cheeks, ear-coverts,
and throat dull v inous; lower th ro at darker ashy, as also the adjacent sides o f the n e ck ; the chest light
ashy, extending onto the sides of the neck, and forming a conspicuous p atch on the sides o f the man tle;
remainder of under surface brown, mottled with reddish-ochre margins to the fea th e rs; under tail-coverts
dark brown, with broad edgings o f reddish o ch re; under wing-coverts dusky brown, the axillaries rufous
brown ; undersurface of quills dark ashy brown.
The specimen figured in the accompanying Plate is in the Dresden Museum, and was lent to me by
Dr. Meyer for the purposes o f the present work. The species is represented about the size o f life.