W. B a rt d è i e t U/Jv.
CARPOPHAGA R U B R I C E R A , Gray
Mittlern/ Bros.imp.
CARPOPHAGA RUBRICERA, Bonap.
New-Ireland Fruit-Pigeon.
Columba pinon, Less. Yoy. Coquille, Zool. i. p. 342 (1826, nec Quoy et Gaim.).
Carpophaga rubricera, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 31 (1864, ex Gray, MSS.).—Gray, List Columb. in Brit. Mus. p. 18 (1856).
Wallace, Ibis, 1865, p. 3 8 3—Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 229, no. 9177 (1870).—Schl. Mus. Pays-Bas,
Columbæ, p. 81 (1873).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, ix. p. 200 (1876, pt.).—Sclater, Proc. Zool.
Soc. 1877, p. 109 (pt.), 1878, pp. 289, 671.—Elliot, op. cit. 1878, p. 549.—Salvad. Monog. Globicera, p. 13
(1878).—Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879, p. 13.—Salvad. Ibis, 1879, p. 364.—Brown, Proc. Zool. Soc.
1879, p. 451.—Salvad. Ora. Papuasia e delle Molucche, iii. p. 79 (1882).—Finsch, Vog. der Siidsee,
p. 18 (1884).
Globicera rubricera, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 31 (1854).— Id. Compt. Rend, xxxix. p. 1073 (1854), xl. p. 217 (1855),
xli. p. 1111 (1855), xliii. p. 835 (1856).—Id. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1856, p. 403.—Reichenb. Handb.
Columb. p. 1 2 1 .—Bonap. Iconogr. Pigeons, pi. 39 (1857).y '
Carpophaga lepida, Cassin, Journ. Philad. Acad. 1854, p. 330.—Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1856, p. 403.—Id.
Compt. Rend. xli. p. 1111 (1855), xliii. p. 835 (1856).
Carpophaga (Globicera) rubricera, Gray, Cat. Birds Tropical Isl. p. 41 (1859).
Carpophaga (Zoncenas) pinon, Gray, tom. cit. p. 42 (1859, nec Quoy et Gaim.).
Muscadivora rubricera, Scbleg. Dierentuin, fig. 1, p. 209.
Carpophaga (Globicera) rubricera, Cab. & Reicben. J. f. O. 1876, p. 325.
A succinct history o f this species has been given by Count Salvadori in his great work on the birds o f New
Guinea and the Moluccas, from which we have taken the major p a rt o f the above synonymy. I t appears to
be entirely confined to New Ireland, New Hanover, and New Britain, having been found in the two first-
mentioned islands by Dr. Huesker during the German Transit-of-Venus Expedition, while Dr. Finsch states
th at it was the commonest o f the large Pigeons in New Britain. All the references to the occurrence o f
this bird in the Solomon group are probably erroneous, as it is represented in the latter locality by Carpophaga
rufigula o f Salvadori, which has the head and neck ashy, with the cheeks and throat vinaceous. In C. rubricera
the head and neck are vinaceous, the lower p a rt o f the hind neck being ashy.
The followin'»- is a translation o f Count Salvadori’s description, taken from the type in the British
Museum :—
“ Head, neck, and breast vinaceous ; a ring round the eye and the margin o f the forehead whitish ; lower
p a rt o f the hind neck and upper p a rt o f the back pale ashy g rey ; remainder o f the back and wings shining
coppery g re e n ; abdomen, anal region, and thighs ru sty ; under tail-coverts ch e stn u t; primaries and tail-
feathers blue-black with a green reflection ; the cere, which is swollen, and the feet red.”
The figure in the Plate is drawn from an adult specimen collected by Mr. Cockerell in New Ireland, and
now in the British Museum. It is o f the size o f life.
[R. B. S.]