PTILOPUS BELLU

ay ze
S, Sclater.

Purple-bellied F'ruit-Piceon.

Ptilonopus bellus, Sclater, P. Z.S. 1873, p. 696, pl. 57.—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gonoe an

Te De SON lisiio):
Ptilopus bellus, Salvad. Ann, Mus. Civ. Genoyv. ix. p. 197 (1876), x. p. 157 (1877).—Elliot : Z 5 re 56
a Se er dee ‘ : { »t. 4.5, 1878, p. 563.

Tur elaborate monograph recently compiled by Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Fruit-l
renders a study of this numerous group a much easier task than it has been for many vears past ; and I must
acknowledge the help which I have derived from that treatise of the above-named author, whose industry and
devotion to ornithological science have been proved by the many valuable papers and works witioh: hare
issued from his pen during the last few years.

The subject of the accompanying Plate is one of the most beautiful of all the Ptilopi, which contain such
anumber of strikingly marked Fruit-Pigeons, many of them endeared to me by old Australian recollections
and by the pleasure with which I look forward to illustrating all the varied forms of Fruit-Pigeons inhabiting
the Malay archipelago. The Péi/opus bellus was first discovered by Signor D’Albertis during his celebrated
expedition to North-western New Guinea, in Atam ; and it has since been procured in the Arfak Mountains
by M. Laglaize, and at Amberbaki by M. Raffray; so that the habitat of the present species would appear to
be the north-western corner of New Guinea, particularly the vicinity of the Arfak Mountains. It belongs
to the section of the genus Pti/opus which contains species having a broad white or yellow breast-band: in
the case of the present bird and its near ally P. speciosus, the breast-band is lemon-yellow above, white
beneath ; and it is distinguished from the latter species by the forehead and crown being rosy red instead of
green, and by the abdominal spot being purplish red instead of lilac. It is also a larger bird than the nearly
allied species.

Mr. Elliot, from whose synoptic table the above characters have been derived, gives the following
description of the species :—

“ Male. Front and crown deep rosy red; occiput dark bluish green ; breast covered by a broad half-
moon-shaped band, pure white on the lower parts and sides, lemon-yellow on the upper part ; the abdomen
has the middle portion covered by a purplish red patch ; entire rest of plumage yellowish green, with small,

: on
f , , Neic ¢ > tail-coverts edged ith

round, bluish-black spots on the scapulars, and the feathers of the crissum and under tail-coverts edged w
ereen, with a pale apical band of

yellow ; primaries greenish black, the first not narrowed ; tail yellowish g

: ; ee D GNArAT. Venothr Om anchece willcsmcs a mtclll ites
the same colour; bill yellow; feet dark red; iris yellow. Total length 9; inches, wings 3:

culmen 3.”
Signor D’Albertis describes the bill as yellow, the feet as dull crimson, and the ee yellow. 3
The Plate represents the type specimen, kindly lent to me by Dr. Sclater during its stay in this country.
It is now in the Genoa Museum.

5 :
igeons of the genus Prilopus

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