CARPOPHAGA ASSIMILIS, Gowa.

Allied Fruit Pigeon.

Carpophaga assimilis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1850, p. 201.

 

I am not surprised that an additional Fruit Pigeon should have been discovered in the northern part of
Australia, since in every degree nearer the tropics palm-trees, among which these birds are principally found,
become more abundant. In the more southern country of New South Wales certain districts only are
favoured with the presence of these trees, such as Illawarra and the brushes, which extend along the east
coast, from the Hunter to Moreton Bay ; it is in these districts only that the near ally of the present species,
the Carpophaga magnifica, is to be found ; and as I have never seen the latter bird from the north coast, it
may be presumed that the two birds are representatives of each other in their respective parts of the country.

There exists in New Guinea another nearly allied species, to which the name of puel/a has been given by
M. Lesson. ‘This bird is still smaller than the present one, and has the yellow markings at the tips of the
wing-coverts in the form of round spots instead of oval blotches ; its face and neck are more grey, and its
back less golden or sulphur-green, than in C. assimilis, which latter must be regarded as a diminutive
representative of C. magnifica rather than an enlarged C. puella.

Numerous specimens of this bird were collected on the Cape York Peninsula by Mr. MacGillivray and
the officers of Her Majesty’s Ship Rattlesnake.

The only outward differences between the sexes consists in the somewhat smaller size and less brilliant
colouring of the female.

Head, throat and ear-coverts grey; all the upper surface, wings and tail sulphur-green ; each of the
wing-coverts with an oblong mark of rich yellow at the tip, forming an oblique band across the shoulder ;
line down the centre of the throat, chest and abdomen rich purple; under wing-coverts, vent, thighs and
under tail-coverts rich orange-yellow ; basal portion of the inner webs of the primaries and secondaries
cinnamon.

The figures are of the natural size.

SI OO RCT NOR REGS

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