VJhrb del. d, lili,
CAÄPOPHAGA W A N—W Y C K U , ( m s . JtinUni. Ihn*, imp.
CARPOPHAGA VAN-WYCKII, cass.
Van Wyck’s Fruit-Pig'eon.
Garpophaga van-wyckii, Cass. Proc. Acad. Philad. 1862, p. 320.—Pelz. Novara Reis., Vög. p. 107 (1865).—
Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov, ix. p. 200, no. 41 (1876).—Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1877, p. 109; 1878,
pp. 289, 671.—Salvad. Monogr. Sottogen. Globicera, p. 5 (1878).—Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W.
iii. p. 292 (1878), iv. pp. 73, 101 (1879).—Salvad. Ibis, Í879, p. 326.—Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879,
pp. 218, 447, 45lillL av ard . Ibis, 1880, pp. 297, 301.—Salvad. Orn. Papuasia e delle Moluccbe, iii.
p. 87 (1882).
Globicera vanwyclcii, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, ii. p. 229, sp. 9184 (1870).
Garpophaga wickei, Giebel, Thes. Orn. i. p. 588 (1872).
Garpophaga microcera, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. i. p. 372 (1876).
Carpophaga rhodinoltema, Finsch (nec Sclater), Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879, p. 13.
T he g reatest uncertainty has long prevailed regarding the distinctness o f this species from C. pisirinuriu
of the Solomon Islands. C. van-wyckii was discovered by Lieut. Van Wyek, o f the United States Navy, in
New Ireland, and specimens have more recently been obtained in Duke o f York Island by the Rev. G.
Brown and Dr. Kleinschmidt, as well as in Pigeon Island, New Britain, and Palakura, by Mr. L. C. Layard.
Mr. E. P. Ramsay also records it from Deboyne Island and Bramble Haveu in the Louisiade Group and
even from South Cape in South-eastern New Guinea. I t will be seen, therefore, th at its rauge is somewhat
extensive, and there would be nothing stirprising in the fact that the Solomon Island Carpophaga was
precisely id en tica l; and th at this is the case has been suggested by Count Salvadori. We have ourselves
compared a specimen from New Britain with one from San Christoval, and we find that, although the
resemblance is close, there are sufficient characters to recognize C. van-wyckii from C. pislrinaria. The
difference consists in the dusky grey character o f the upper plumage in C. pislrinaria, which has little or
no green gloss, while the hind neck and mantle are scarcely distinguishable from the rest o f the back. In
C. van-wyckii the vinous grey hind neck and mantle contrast strongly with the rest o f the back, which has
a very distinct gloss o f bronzy green.
T h e following is a description o f an adult female, taken from a New Britain specimen in the British
Museum :—
Adult female. General colour above pale bronzy green, with a slight shade o f purplish blue on the rump
and upper tail-coverts; lesser wing-coverts pale- bronzy g r e e n ; primary-coverts and quills blackish, the
primaries ashy grey externally, glossy green a t the en d s ; secondaries also externally grey, but also glossed
with green, the innermost like the b a c k ; tail-feathers black, with a purple gloss, green on the outer ed g e s;
crown o f head delicate pearly g r e y ; hind neck and mantle pearly grey with a strong vinaceous tinge,
especially on the sides of the neck, the grey of the mantle merging into the green o f the b a ck ; base of
forehead dull white ; lores pearly grey, fading into pale vinous; feathers round eye white ; sides o f face,
ear-coverts, cheeks, throat, sides o f neck, fore neck, and chest pale delicate vinaceous; breast and remainder
o f under surface pale pearly grey, with a vinaceous tin g e ; under tail-coverts vinous chestnut; under wing-
coverts and axillaries delicate pearly grey like the sides of the body ; quills below ashy brown, paler along
the inner edge. Total length 14 5 inches, culmen 1-15, wing 8-9, tail 5 -3, tarsus 1#0.
T h e figure in the Plate is life-sized, and is drawn from the specimen described above.
[R. B. S.]