(2 DIRHINUS INSOLITUS.

Knob-billed F ruit-Pigeon.

Ptilopus insolitus, Schlegel, Neder]. Tijdschr. Dierk. j. en Olea ania
p. 340.—Salvad. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 196.—Elliot, P. Z.S. 1878, p. 549.

Ptilopus humeralis jobiensis (monstrosity), Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Columba, peel

Cdirhinus globifer, Cabanis & Reichenow, Sitz. Gesellsch. naturf. Fr. Berlin, 1876, p. 73.—Iid. J.f. O. 1876, p. 326.

CGidirhinus insolitus, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 110.—Rowley, Or fi ii i
, ‘ : y, Orn. Miscellany, ii. p. 338, pl. Ixvi.—Sclater
P. Z.S. 1878, p. 290. a

g. 3.—Meyer, Rowley’s Orn. Miscell. ii

 

Tuis remarkable bird, which Mr. Dawson Rowley names the “ Strange Pigeon,” a title it well deserves, was
first made known to science in 1861 by Professor Schlegel, who possessed a single example at Leiden in
somewhat damaged condition. The locality was stated to be New Caledonia; but this was probably an error,
as our next acquaintance with the species was due to Dr. Huesker, who accompanied the German Transit-
of-Venus Expedition on board the ‘Gazelle,’ and procured the bird in New Ireland; and his Specimen was
named Gdirhinus globifer by Drs. Cabanis and Reichenow. Shortly afterwards Dr. Sclater received it from
Duke-of-York Island, from Mr. George Brown, and identified the species with one previously described,
Ptilopus insohius of Professor Schlegel, who meanwhile had looked upon the species as a monstrosity of his
Ptilopus jobiensis. Dr. Sclater gave a woodcut of the head to show the extraordinary knob at the base of
the bill; and this illustration was followed by a beautiful figure in Mr. Rowley’s ‘ Ornithological Miscellany,’
with an excellent history of the species contributed by Dr. Meyer. During the present year Dr. Sclater has
received a second consignment from Mr. Brown, in which there was a large series of this Fruit-Pigeon ; and
although there were no labels on the birds, the receipt of nearly twenty specimens seems to show that there
is no difference in the colour of the sexes, although a good deal of variation in the size and colour of the
knob was observable, the individuals which had this character more largely developed being probably the
older males.

I have followed the above-named authors in keeping this bird distinct under the genus Gdrhinus, though
Mr. Elliot, in his recent Monograph of the genus Ptilopus, has replaced the species in the latter genus,
considering that the knob on the bill is paralleled by the protuberance found in some of the species ot
Carpophaga, which are not recognized as generically distinct. According to the last-named ornithologist
the present bird belongs to the section of the genus Pidopus in which the breast-feathers ante not bifureate,
and the middle of the abdomen is orange. It is nearly allied to P. iozonus, P. humerals and P. jobiensis,
but differs not only in the yellow knob on the forehead, but also by having the shoulders and patch on the
back light grey, and the tail bright green, with the apical third ashy grey. dit eee

Nothing is known of the habits of this fine species ; so I must content myself with adding the description
of the bird given by Mr. Elliot in the paper above alluded to. tite Gersde ne

“Head, neck, back, breast, and flanks bright bronzy green; throat green slightly oie a a
abdomen deep orange; shoulders and a patch on each side of the back, at the edge of on a e, a
bright yellow on their outer webs; inner secondaries ligh

: . ce ‘rey; crissum and under tail-
erey, margined with green; tail bright green, with the apical third ashy grey; crissum
an ie . ; A forehead and base of culmen covered by a

coverts bright yellow ; bill greenish at base, yellowish at tips hed oo
bony protuberance large and rounded in form, very conspicuous, and of a ;
Total length 94 inches, wing 5, tail 3, bill at gape #.”

The figures in the Plate are drawn from specimens collec

The birds are represented of the size of life.

grey; wings green; secondaries margined with

ted by Mr. Brown and lent me by Dr Sclater.

 

 

 

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