Specimens examined.—Total number, 81 (52 males, 26 females, 3 unsexed), as follows: Caroline Islands, USNM—Truk, 4 (Feb. 16, Dec. 24); AMNH—Truk, 24 (Jan., June, Oct.)—Ponapé, 53 (Nov., Dec).Nesting.—Yamashina (1932a:408) reports on eggs taken at Ponapé on the following dates: July 10, 12, August 1, 12, 15, 21. Only one egg was found to a nest. Hartert (1900:8) records nests containing eggs in May and June at Truk. Coultas (field notes) describes the nest as a flimsy affair. At Ponapé in November and December he found nests on low branches (10 to 20 feet from the ground) each containing a single egg. Nests were found also in the tops of tree ferns. Females taken in these months had enlarged gonads.Parasites.—Bequaert (1939:81, 82, and 1941:266, 290) records the two flies (Hippoboscidae),Ornithoctona plicataandO. pusilla, from the fruit dove at Ponapé.Remarks.—McElroy of the NAMRU2 party found the birds in mountainous areas at Truk in December, 1945. At Ponapé in November and December, 1931, Coultas (field notes) comments that the bird is rapidly disappearing owing to persistent hunting by the natives and, at that time, by the Japanese. He found the birds to be strictly forest-living and to frequent the larger fruit-bearing trees ofthe lowlands and the mountain sides. Coultas writes that the Japanese hunters attracted the doves by the use of calls. The natives catch the birds with a gum mixture obtained from bread-fruit gum and coconut oil.Ptilinopus porphyraceus hernsheimi(Finsch)Crimson-crowned Fruit DovePtilopus HernsheimiFinsch., Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 303. (Type locality, Kuschai.)Ptilopus hernsheimiFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Kuschai); Reichenow and Schalow, Journ. f. Ornith., 1881, p. 75 (Kuschai); Finsch, Ibis, 1881, pp. 106, 107, 108 (Kushai); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 583 (Ualan);idem, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 51 (Ualan); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 94 (Ualan); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 222 (Oualan); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Kuschai); Reichenow, Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 355 (Kuschai); Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoöl., 63, 1919, p. 189 (Kusaie).Ptilinopus hernsheimiMatschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Ualan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 33 (Kusaie).Ptilinopus ponapensis hernsheimiKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 57 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Kusaie); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 212 (Kusaie).Ptilinopus marshallianusPeters and Griscom, Proc. New England Zool. Club, 10, 1928, p. 104 (Type locality, Ebon); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Ebon).Ptilinopus ponapensis marshallianusPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Ebon); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Ebon).Ptilinopus porphyraceus hernsheimiRipley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 6 (Kusaie, Ebon); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Kusaie).Geographic range.—Micronesia: Caroline Islands—Kusaie; Marshall Islands—Ebon (extinct?).Characters.—Adult: ResemblesP. p. ponapensis, but occiput, nape, sides of head more gray and less greenish-yellow; chin and midthroat paler; crown coloring very faintly margined with yellow; tail band brighter yellow; under tail-coverts more orange; abdominal spot may be present as a brownish-red tinge; abdomen slightly more yellowish.Immature: Resembles immature ofP. p. ponapensis.Measurements.—Measurements are listed intable 25. Ripley and Birckhead (1942:7) give the measurements of the only known specimen from Ebon (Marshall Islands) as: wing, 124; tail, 74; bill from base, 15.Specimens examined.—Total number, 11 (6 males, 5 females), as follows: Caroline Islands, USNM—Kusaie, 1 (Feb. 9); AMNH—Kusaie, 10 (Jan., Feb., March, April).Remarks.—I am following Ripley and Birckhead (1942:6) in identifying the dove from Ebon Island as of the subspeciesP. p. hernsheimi. This specimen from Ebon may, however, represent the final vestige of a formerly well-distributed population in the Marshall Islands. This distribution is of particular interest because it may show the pathway by which these small fruit pigeons invaded eastern Micronesia from Polynesia.The small fruit dove at Kusaie has apparently the same habitat requirements as others of the species. Coultas (field notes) comments that in 1931 the birds were "quite common." He found them in the high trees on the mountain sides away from the native villages and gardens.Ptilinopus porphyraceus pelewensisHartlaub and FinschCrimson-crowned Fruit DovePtilinopus pelewensisHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 7. (Type locality, Pelew Islands.)Ptilinopus pelewensisHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 118 (Pelew); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 225 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 101 (Pelew); Gräffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 1, 1873, pl. 7, fig. 5 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 24 (Palau); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, p. 37 (Palau); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 407 (Palau); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Palau); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 56 (Pelew); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 32 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Palau); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Babeltop, Korror); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Babelthuap, Koror).Ptilonopus pelewensisFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1874, p. 94 (Pelew).Ptilopus pelewensisGiebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 366 (Pelew); Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1878, p. 531 (Palau); Schmeltz, Verhandl. Ver. nat. Unterhatlung Hamburg, 1877 (1879), p. 178 (Pelew); Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 44 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 584 (Pelew);idem, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 48 (Pelew); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 86 (Pelew); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Pelew); Reichenow, Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 354 (Palau); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Pelew).Ptilinopus porphyraceus pelewensisRipley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 7 (Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 60 (Peleliu, Ngabad, Garakayo).Geographic range.—Micronesia: Palau Islands—Babelthuap, Koror, Garakayo, Peleliu, Ngabad, Anguar.Characters.—Adult male: A green fruit pigeon with anterior lores and crown purple, margined with pale yellow; forehead paler than crown; chin and midthroat pale yellow; neck, sides of head, and breast greenish-gray, darker on occiput; feathers of upper breast cross-banded with partly concealed violet bands; abdomen orange, its lower part and region of vent yellow; sides greenish; tibia grayish; under tail-coverts near "Indian lake" with yellowish-orange edgings; upper parts green; wings metallic green, secondaries and primaries margined on outer webs with yellow; inner secondaries spotted with violet-blue near tips; under wing gray; upper side of tail green with pale yellow terminal band; under side of tail gray; bill lead-colored; feet dark blood-red.Adult female: Resembles adult male, but upper parts greener with upper side of wing and upper tail-coverts washed with olivaceous-brown; breast duskier. Immature resembles adult, but lacks purple crown, violet breast spot, orange abdomen and maroon under tail-coverts; upper and lower parts margined with yellow; forehead pale green; supercillary stripe pale yellow.P. p. pelewensisresemblesP. p. ponapensis, but crown more purple; yellow tail-bar narrower; bifurcated, central breast feathers violet; abdomen orange; and under tail-coverts near "Indian lake".Measurements.—Measurements are presented intable 25.Specimens examined.—Total number, 14 (10 males, 4 females), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM—Koror, 3 (Nov. 14, Dec. 3)—Garakayo, 1 (Sept. 19)—Peleliu, 3 (Aug. 27, Sept. 1, 4)—Ngabad, 2 (Sept. 11)—Pelew, 2 (Mar. 1, 2); AMNH—Palau, 3 (Oct., Dec.).Nesting.—At Ngabad Island on September 11, 1945, the NAMRU2 party found a nest in jungle in a low tree about six feet above the ground. It was loosely constructed and contained a single white egg, size 31 by 23 mm. Another nest was found at Ngabad the same day. It was on the branch of a tree approximately 20 feet from the ground. The nest was not examined other than to observe a parent bird on the nest. Three males obtained in August and in September had enlarged testes. Males taken in December by Coultas had enlarged testes.Food Habits.—Stomachs examined by the NAMRU2 party contained fruit parts and seeds. This species seemingly obtains its foods from the large fruit-producing trees and to a lesser extent from the smaller shrubs or from ground berries.Remarks.—P. p. pelewensiswas found in small numbers at all islands visited in the southern Palaus by the NAMRU2 party in 1945. At Peleliu, the bird was restricted to undisturbed woodlands and thickets, although some were seen in the thickly growing vegetation covering over the battle areas. The bird evidently lives a solitary existence; it was only rarely observed in pairs. It was often located by its calls. Coultas (field notes) reports that in 1931 the species was becoming rare in the Palaus, owing to persistent hunting by the Japanese, who sold the bird for 25 sen each.Ptilinopus roseicapillus(Lesson)Marianas Fruit DoveColumba roseicapillaLesson, Traité d'Ornith., 6, 1831, p. 472. (Type locality, Marianne Islands.)Columba roseicapillaLesson, Compl. de Buffon, 2d ed., 2, Oiseaux, 1838, p. 278 (Mariannes).Columba purpurataKittlitz, Kupfertaf. Naturgesch. Vögel, 3, 1833, p. 25, pl. 23, fig. 2 (Guahan);idem, Obser. Zool., in Lutké, Voy. "Le Séniavine," 3, 1836, p. 305 (Guahan).Ptilinopus purpuratusHartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1854, p. 167 (Mariannen); Hartert, Katalog Vogelsamml. Senckenb., 1891, p. 190 (Guaham).Ptilopus roseicapillusBonaparte, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris, 39, 1854, p. 877 (Mariannes);idem, Icon. Pigeons, 1857, pl. 23 and desc. letterpress (Mariannes); Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, 6, no. 35, 1873, p. 8 (Guam); Giebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 368 (Mariannae); Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1878, p. 537 (Marianne); Oustalet, Le Nat., 1889, p. 261 (Mariannes); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 584 (Marianne);idem, Abhandl. und Ber Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 48 (Marianne); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 108 (Marianne Islands); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 218 (Saypan, Guam, Rota); Safford, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 264 (Guam); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Mariannes); Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 78 (Guam); Schnee, Zeitschr. f. Naturwisch., 82, 1912, p. 465 (Marianen); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 101 (Marianen); Reichenow, Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 354 (Marianen); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 20 (Guam); Bryan, Guam Rec. vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Thompson, Guam and its people, 1942, p. 23 (Guam).Kurukuru roseicapillusPrévost and Des Murs, Voy. "Venus," Oiseaux, 1855, pp. 221, 231, 257, 259, 269 (Guam).Ptilopus roseicapillaBonaparte, Consp. Avium, 2, 1855, p. 21 (Mariannis).Ptilonopus roseicapillusGray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 31 (Guam); Reichenbach, Tauben, 1861, p. 96 (Mariannen); Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1874, p. 94 (Mariannes).Ptilinopus roseicapillusFinsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, pp. 122, 127 (Mariannen); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 225 (Ladrones); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 60 (Guam, Rota, Saipan); Wheeler, Report Island of Guam, 1900, p. 13 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 39 (Guam, Rota, Saipan); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Guam, Saipan); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 68 (Marianas);idem, Amer. Anthro., 4, 1902, p. 711 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 56 (Guam, Rota, Saipan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 33 (Marianne); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Tinian, Saipan, Rota); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 212 (Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 288 (Marianas); Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 1946, p. 95 (Tinian); Watson, The Raven, 17, 1946, p. 42 (Guam); Strophlet, Auk, 63, 1946, p. 538 (Guam); Baker, Condor, 49, 1947, p. 125 (Guam); Stott, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 526 (Saipan); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 59 (Guam, Rota).Ptilopus diadematusGiebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 363 (Marianae).Ptilinopus roseicapillaPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam); Ripley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 3 (Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan).Geographic range.—Micronesia: Mariana Islands—Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan.Characters.—Adult male: A green dove with crown, forehead, anterior lores, and spot at base of mandible near "aster purple," margined with pale yellow especially on top of head; chin and throat pale yellow to white; sides of head greenish-gray, darker on occiput; breast green with pearly-gray tinge on feathers of middle part; lower breast with dark purple patch; abdomen orange with yellowish-green coloring at midline; anal region and lower tail-coverts yellow, tinged with orange on lower tail-coverts; sides and tibia greenish with yellow tinges; upper parts green, more yellowish-green on rump; wings glossy, upper wing-coverts brighter in middle and margined with yellow; under side of wing and under side of tail gray; upper side of tail green with broad grayish terminal band margined with yellow; iris pale yellow; bill grass-green; legs and feet reddish-black.Adult female: Resembles male, but slightly smaller with neck greener. Immature resembles adult, but lacking colored crown; body feathers edged with yellow.Birds from Guam, Rota, and Tinian exhibit no conspicuous differences.P. roseicapillusis closest toP. reginaof southern Papua, Lesser Sunda Islands, and Australia being, according to Ripley and Birckhead (1942:3), "Similar toregina, but crown and abdominal band darker; malar apex concolorous with crown; hind neck more grayish; tail-bar wider and paler."Measurements.—Measurements ofP. roseicapillusare presented intable 26.Weights.—In 1948 (1948:59) I listed the weights of 14 adult males as 81-103 (90), of 4 adult females as 85-99 (92), and of one nestling in post natal molt as 44 grams. These were taken at Guam.Specimens examined.—Total number, 43 (32 males, 10 females, 1 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM—Guam, 28 (March 8, May 25, 27, June 3, 12, 14, July 2, 6, 10, 18, 19, 29, Aug. 21)—Rota, 3 (Oct. 28, 31, Nov. 2)—Tinian, 1 (Oct. 26); AMNH—Guam, 8 (Aug.)—Tinian, 3 (Sept.).Table 26. Measurements ofPtilinopus roseicapillusNumberWingTailExposedculmenTarsus32 adult males127 (122-133)80 (75-84)14 (13-15.3)25 (24-27)10 adult females124 (121-130)76 (75-79)13 (12-13.7)24 (22-25.5)Nesting.—At Guam, I obtained records of nests of fruit doves on March 1, 1927, and May 7, 1945. David H. Johnson observed a pair of fruit doves in the act of copulation on May 26, 1945. Birds with enlarged gonads were taken by the NAMRU2 party in March and July. A nestling in post natal molt, just beginning to fly, was taken on July 6. Seale (1901:39) reports two nests, each containing one white egg, taken in the period from May to July. These nests were found in trees eight to ten feet above the ground.Food habits.—The Marianas Fruit Dove feeds on fruits and seeds of trees and shrubs. The birds are apparently strictly tree dwellers; I saw no birds on the ground. A favorite fruit is that of a flowering shrub known as the "ink berry." Birds were collected which contained stomachs full of these small black berries. The fruit of the papaya is also a favorite food.Remarks.—The NAMRU2 party found the Marianas Fruit Dove at Guam to be fairly numerous in undisturbed jungle, and more abundant in the heavy, second-growth, scrub-forest as was found on Amantes Point in 1945. The birds were secretive but were easily located by their calls. They were usually found as singles sitting quietly concealed in thick vegetation. Birds were seen flying rather infrequently, and then only for short distances. The removal of large tracts of jungle to provide space for the construction of air strips and installations in the late war has disturbed some of the habitat of these birds. Although vast tracts of forest were undisturbed, the birds probably have decreased at Guam. Coultas (field notes) found the birds common at the northern end of Guam in 1931. He commented that natives catch them with snares and bird lime for the local markets. At Tinian in 1931, Coultas found few birds. Downs (1946:95) and Stott (1947:526) record the birds at Tinian and Saipan, respectively, in 1945. At Rota, the NAMRU2 party found the dove to be numerous.Evolutionary history of Ptilinopus in Micronesia.—Oceania is especially rich in species and subspecies of the genusPtilinopus. Ripley and Birckhead (1942) have made the most recent and most thorough contribution concerning these birds. They state that the center of distribution for the genus lies in the Papuan region. Within the Oceanic region there are several species ofPtilinopuswhich in one way or another are rather closely related; Rensch (1938:277) uses these as examples of species which have been formed by isolation. These includeP. perousiifrom Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga;P. mercieriifrom the Marquesas;P. dupetithouarsiifrom the Marquesas;P. huttonifrom Rapa;P. purpuratusfrom Henderson, Tuamotus, Societies;P. porphyraceusfrom Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Carolines, Solomons, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and adjacent areas; andP. roseicapillusfrom Marianas. In all of these birds the crown is wine-red except inP. dupetithouarsiiin which it is whitish.P. porphyraceusappears to be more closely related toP. purpuratusthan to any other species and is characterized by an often brightly washed spot of color of some shade of red or orange on the breast. These birds may have invaded Micronesia from the region of the Solomon Islands, although it appears more likely that they arose in the Samoa-Fiji-Tonga region and moved northward, probably by way of the Marshall Islands.P. p. hernsheimifrom Kusaie andP. p. ponapensisfrom Ponapé and Truk resembleP. p. faciatusPeale from Samoa more closely than they do any other subspecies.P. p. pelewensisfrom Palau, on the other hand shows little relation to these other two Micronesian subspecies and appears to be closest toP. p. porphyraceusof Fiji and Tonga or possibly toP. grayifrom Melanesia. Ripley and Birckhead (1942:7) suggest that the subspecies at Palau owes its marked divergence to its isolated position at the periphery of the range of the species.P. p. pelewensisprobably represents an independent and an earlier colonization, possibly from a stock different from that from which the two subspecies in the Carolines arose. The presence in the Palaus of subspecies singularly different from subspecies in the Carolines can also be observed in other genera, as for example,Rhipidura, andMyiagra.Figure 13shows the inferred routes of colonization ofPtilinopusto Micronesia.P. roseicapillusseemingly represents a remnant, or perhaps a successful straggler, of an early invasion to Micronesia. Ripley and Birckhead (1942:2) classify this species as "Old Stock," along withP. monachus,P. coronulatusandP. regina. Its pathway of invasion to the Marianas was probably directly northward from the Papuan area and not by way of the Polynesian islands. Its resemblance to the speciesP. reginaof southern Papua, Lesser Sundas, and Australia is most unusual, especially since there is a separation between the two species of some 1,400 miles; this is pointed out by Ripley and Birckhead (1942:4). As I have said(1948:59) elsewhere, "On the basis of its characters the Mariana birds would merit only subspecific separation, but owing to the great distance between the two doves and the possibility of independent origin and subsequent convergence, it may be more advisable to continue to regard the two as separate species."Fig. 13Fig. 13.Geographic distribution ofPtilinopus porphyraceusand routes of its dispersal. (1)P. p. porphyraceus; (2)P. p. fasciatus; (3)P. p. hernsheimi; (4)P. p. ponapensis; (5)P. p. pelewensis.Ducula oceanica monacha(Momiyama)Micronesian PigeonGlobicera oceanica monachaMomiyama, Birds Micronesia, March, 1922, p. 4. (Type locality, Yap.)Columba oceanicaLesson and Garnot (part), Dict. Sci. Nat., éd. Levrault, 40, 1826, p. 317 (Pelew); Lesson (part), Man. d'Ornith., 2, 1828, p. 166 (Pelew);idem(part), Voy. "La Coquille," Zool., 2, 1828, pp. 432, 709 (Pelew);idem, Compl. de Buffon, 2d ed., 2, Oiseaux, 1838, p. 292 (Pelew); Prévost and Knip, Les Pigeons, 2, 1838-43, p. 49 (Pelew).Carpophaga oceanicaHartlaub (part), Archiv. f. Naturgesch., 18, 1852, p. 115 (Pelewinseln);idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 830 (Pelew); Gray (part), Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 229 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch (part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 101 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 26 (Palau);idem(part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), pp. 775, 780 (Palau); Salvadori (part), Cronaca del R. Liceo-Ginnasio Cavour, 1878, pp. 3, 8 (Pelew);idem, Ibis, 1879, p. 364 (Pelew); Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 42 (Pelew); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 52 (Pelew); Matschie (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Palau); Dubois (part), Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 743 (Pelew); Reichenow (part), Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 351 (Palau).Globicera oceanicaBonaparte (part), Consp. Avium, 2, 1855, p. 31 (Pelew); Reichenbach (part), Tauben, 1861, p. 120 (Pelew); Salvadori (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 176 (Pelew); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Pelew); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, pp. 486, 489 (Palau).Carpophaga (Globicera) oceanicaGray (part), Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 41 (Pelew).Carpophaga pacificaFinsch and Hartlaub (part), Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 145 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 7, 118 (Pelew); Finsch and Hartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1870, p. 134 (Pelew).Globicera oceanica monachaKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 55 (Yap); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 46 (Yap); Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 408 (Yap); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 189 (Yap, Palau, Current = Palo Anna).Globicera oceanica momiyamaiKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, March, 1922, pp. 25, 56 (Type locality, Angaur); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 46 (Pelew); Kuroda, Ibis, 1927, p. 719 (Pelew).Muscadivora oceanica winkleriNeumann, Verhandl. Ornith. Ges. Bayern, 25, Sept. 1, 1922, p. 234 (Type locality, Palau).Ducula oceanica monachaPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 43 (Yap, Babelthuap, Koror, Angaur, Current); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 211 (Yap, Babelthuap, Koror, Angaur, Current); Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1237, 1943, p. 11 (Yap, Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Palau, Yap); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 66 (Peleliu, Garakayo, Babelthuap).Geographic range.—Micronesia: Palau Islands—Babelthuap, Koror, Garakayo, Peleliu, Angaur, Palo Anna; Caroline Islands—Yap.Characters.—Adult: ResemblesD. o. oceanicafrom Kusaie but throat, breast, head, and neck light ashy-gray; feathers around bill grayish-white; abdomen and under tail-coverts tipped with light brown.Immature: Resembles adult, but underparts paler; back lacking dark bluish spots; back feathers and wing feathers edged with light brown.Measurements.—Measurements ofD. oceanicaare listed intable 27.Table 27. Measurements ofDucula oceanicaSubspeciesNumberWingExposedculmenTarsusD. o. monacha8 males228 (219-233)36 (34-37)6 females221 (214-228)22.5 (22.0-23.0)31 (29-33)D. o. teraokai5 males230 (225-237)23.5 (23.0-25.0)34 (33-35)8 females231 (221-238)23.0 (21.5-24.5)34 (33-35)D. o. townsendi8 males226 (211-234)24.0 (23.5-25.0)34 (32-35)5 females226 (215-233)24.0 (23.0-24.5)33 (32-34)D. o. oceanica4 males222 (217-228)25.0 (24.5-26.0)35 (34-36)13 females219 (213-226)24.0 (23.0-25.0)32 (30-34)D. o. ratakensis[B]6 males(211-217)(25.0-27.3 females(208-213)(25.0-26.0)[B]From Takatsukasa and Yamashina (1932:221).Specimens examined.—Total number, 17 (9 males, 8 females), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM—Garakayo, 1 (Sept. 19)—Peleliu, 7 (Aug. 27, 28, 29, Sept. 4, 5); AMNH—Palau, 9 (Oct., Nov. 13, 15, 21, Dec. 1).Nesting.—Yamashina (1932a:408) records the finding of one egg at Yap on December 3, 1930. The NAMRU2 party obtained no evidence of breeding activity of these pigeons at the Palaus in August and September, 1945. Coultas, in November and December of 1931, obtained birds with enlarged gonads at Palau. Probably the nesting season begins in November or December.Food habits.—The pigeons feed on both fruits and green stuffs. The NAMRU2 party found berries, fruit parts and green plant materials in stomachs of birds taken in September, 1945. The birds were found to be exceedingly fat at this time.Parasites.—Uchida (1918:486, 489) records the bird lice (Mallophaga),Goniocotes carpohagaeandColopocephalum unicolor, from this pigeon at Palau.Remarks.—The Micronesian Pigeon at Palau was first observed in 1783, when Captain Henry Wilson of the packet "Antelope" was shipwrecked in these islands. In his account of the islands, as compiled by George Keate (Wilson, 1788), Wilson described the large pigeons, which were kept as pets by the natives and were eaten by only certain classes of people. In 1826, Lesson and Garnot made first reference to the birds found by Wilson. It was almost 100 years after Wilson's visit that the bird was again observed; this time it was obtained by the sea captains, Tetens and Heinsohn, and by Kubary, the collector for the Godeffroy Museum.It is surprising that a pigeon as large and conspicuous as this one, has not already been exterminated by man on these small islands. Every traveller to the islands, who has made observations, writes that the pressure of hunting on these birds is severe. Coultas (field notes) reports that in 1931 the birds were "very scarce and wild." He comments that the Japanese hunters obtained the birds and received the market price of 35 sen for each one. He writes, "There is a group of Japanese hunters in the islands who vie with one another to see who can obtain the most birds. They are all atrocious shots but some employ natives and since so many of them are in the business they are inflicting considerable damage to the bird life. During my stay there one Japanese was sentenced to six weeks hard labor for hiring native hunters. The native hunter who preferred charges claimed that money was due him for having shot some 3,500 birds and the account had been standing over a year." Price (1936b:491) shows a picture of a captive pigeon at Palau. The natives used this bird as a calling decoy to attract others within range of their blowguns.The NAMRU2 party observed pigeons at all islands visited in August and September, 1945. At Peleliu, the pigeons were found to be restricted to relatively undisturbed areas where tall treesremained or where shrubs were present on the faces of overhanging cliffs. The shrubs on cliffs were favorite roosting places. Although the pigeons remained in these relatively inaccessible areas, they were not especially difficult to obtain with shotguns. I can see that it might be difficult for unarmed hunters to obtain the birds. The present writer (1946b:210) has recorded the extensive utilization of pigeons, rails and megapodes by Japanese troops and by their prisoners of war at Babelthuap and Koror during the latter part of the war.During our stay at Peleliu we were unable to learn whether the pigeon was still present at Pulo Anna (Current Island), a coral island some 160 miles southeast of Peleliu. The U. S. Navy frequently dispatched a ship to the island, but we did not learn of it until our stay at Peleliu was nearly over. Dr. C. K. Dorsey, then of the U. S. Naval Epidemiology Unit at Peleliu, reported that various kinds of birds were numerous at Pulo Anna, but he did not recall seeing the pigeon. This pigeon may occur also at Fais, a raised coral island west of Yap and Ulithi in the Carolines. I know of no reports dealing with the avifauna of this phosphate island, but I examined several pictures, taken by Navy landing parties and the Military Government personnel, which show the island to be covered with extensive and luxuriant vegetation. I suspect that an intensive survey of the island will reveal several new records for birds.Ducula oceanica teraokai(Momiyama)Micronesian PigeonGlobicera oceanica teraokaiMomiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 2. (Type locality, Tol, Truk Islands.)Columba oceanicaKittlitz (part), Kupfertaf. Naturgesch. Vögel, 3, 1833, p. 25, pl. 33, fig. 1 (Lugunor);idem(part), Obser. Zool., in Lutké, Voy. "Le Séniavine," 3, 1836, p. 299 (Lougounor); Hartlaub (part), Archiv f. Naturgesch., 18, 1852, pp. 115, 185, (Mordlockinseln).Carpophaga (Globicera) pacificaGray (part), Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 41 (Mortlock's Island).Carpophaga pacificaFinsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 146 (Lugunor).Carpophaga oceanicaFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Ruk); Schmeltz and Krause (part), Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 330, 353 (Nukuor, Ruk); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 52 (Luganor, Ruk, Nukuor); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 8 (Ruk).Globicera oceanicaSalvadori (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 176 (Ruk); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Ruk).Globicera oceanica teraokaiKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 55 (Ruk, ?Mortlock, ?Nukuor); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 45 (Ruk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 189 (Truk).M[uscadivora] o[ceanica] oceanicaNeumann (part), Verhandl. Ornith. Ges. Bayern, 25, 1922, p. 234 (Ualam = Truk).Ducula oceanica teraokaiPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 43 (Truk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 212 (Truk); Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1237, 1943, p. 11 (Truk); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Truk).Geographic range.—Micronesia: Caroline Islands—Truk, ?Lukunor, ?Nukuoro.Characters.—Adult: ResemblesD. o. monacha, but slightly darker on crown, nape, and mantle; back more bluish and less greenish, underparts slightly darker chestnut. Differs fromD. o. townsendiby being paler and gray on crown, nape, shoulder, side of neck, and upper breast; abdomen and under tail-coverts slightly deeper chestnut. Differs fromD. o. oceanicaby larger size; upper parts paler; abdomen and under side of tail deeper chestnut. I agree with Amadon (1943:11) that this subspecies is only doubtfully distinct fromD. o. monachaand that it might be advisable to unite these under one subspecific name.Measurements.—Measurements are listed intable 27.Specimens examined.—Total number, 14 (5 males, 9 females, 1 unsexed) from Caroline Islands, AMNH—Truk (Nov., Dec.).Remarks.—The Micronesian Pigeon at Truk was observed by Kittlitz (1836:299) and later by Kubary at the islands of Lukunor and Nukuoro. Momiyama (1922:4) remarks that he did not see specimens from these two islands but concludes that they probably belong to the subspecies named from Truk. It is possible that birds at these two atolls have been exterminated, although adequate field investigations have not been made.There is little information published concerning the natural history of this subspecies. McElroy, who visited Truk in December, 1945, did not find the bird; however, he did not visit all of the islands in the group during his stay.Ducula oceanica townsendi(Wetmore)Micronesian Pigeon
Specimens examined.—Total number, 81 (52 males, 26 females, 3 unsexed), as follows: Caroline Islands, USNM—Truk, 4 (Feb. 16, Dec. 24); AMNH—Truk, 24 (Jan., June, Oct.)—Ponapé, 53 (Nov., Dec).
Nesting.—Yamashina (1932a:408) reports on eggs taken at Ponapé on the following dates: July 10, 12, August 1, 12, 15, 21. Only one egg was found to a nest. Hartert (1900:8) records nests containing eggs in May and June at Truk. Coultas (field notes) describes the nest as a flimsy affair. At Ponapé in November and December he found nests on low branches (10 to 20 feet from the ground) each containing a single egg. Nests were found also in the tops of tree ferns. Females taken in these months had enlarged gonads.
Parasites.—Bequaert (1939:81, 82, and 1941:266, 290) records the two flies (Hippoboscidae),Ornithoctona plicataandO. pusilla, from the fruit dove at Ponapé.
Remarks.—McElroy of the NAMRU2 party found the birds in mountainous areas at Truk in December, 1945. At Ponapé in November and December, 1931, Coultas (field notes) comments that the bird is rapidly disappearing owing to persistent hunting by the natives and, at that time, by the Japanese. He found the birds to be strictly forest-living and to frequent the larger fruit-bearing trees ofthe lowlands and the mountain sides. Coultas writes that the Japanese hunters attracted the doves by the use of calls. The natives catch the birds with a gum mixture obtained from bread-fruit gum and coconut oil.
Ptilopus HernsheimiFinsch., Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 303. (Type locality, Kuschai.)
Ptilopus HernsheimiFinsch., Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 303. (Type locality, Kuschai.)
Ptilopus hernsheimiFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Kuschai); Reichenow and Schalow, Journ. f. Ornith., 1881, p. 75 (Kuschai); Finsch, Ibis, 1881, pp. 106, 107, 108 (Kushai); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 583 (Ualan);idem, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 51 (Ualan); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 94 (Ualan); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 222 (Oualan); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Kuschai); Reichenow, Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 355 (Kuschai); Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoöl., 63, 1919, p. 189 (Kusaie).
Ptilopus hernsheimiFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Kuschai); Reichenow and Schalow, Journ. f. Ornith., 1881, p. 75 (Kuschai); Finsch, Ibis, 1881, pp. 106, 107, 108 (Kushai); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 583 (Ualan);idem, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 51 (Ualan); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 94 (Ualan); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 222 (Oualan); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Kuschai); Reichenow, Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 355 (Kuschai); Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoöl., 63, 1919, p. 189 (Kusaie).
Ptilinopus hernsheimiMatschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Ualan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 33 (Kusaie).
Ptilinopus hernsheimiMatschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Ualan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 33 (Kusaie).
Ptilinopus ponapensis hernsheimiKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 57 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Kusaie); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 212 (Kusaie).
Ptilinopus ponapensis hernsheimiKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 57 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Kusaie); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 212 (Kusaie).
Ptilinopus marshallianusPeters and Griscom, Proc. New England Zool. Club, 10, 1928, p. 104 (Type locality, Ebon); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Ebon).
Ptilinopus marshallianusPeters and Griscom, Proc. New England Zool. Club, 10, 1928, p. 104 (Type locality, Ebon); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Ebon).
Ptilinopus ponapensis marshallianusPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Ebon); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Ebon).
Ptilinopus ponapensis marshallianusPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Ebon); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Ebon).
Ptilinopus porphyraceus hernsheimiRipley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 6 (Kusaie, Ebon); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Kusaie).
Ptilinopus porphyraceus hernsheimiRipley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 6 (Kusaie, Ebon); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Kusaie).
Geographic range.—Micronesia: Caroline Islands—Kusaie; Marshall Islands—Ebon (extinct?).
Characters.—Adult: ResemblesP. p. ponapensis, but occiput, nape, sides of head more gray and less greenish-yellow; chin and midthroat paler; crown coloring very faintly margined with yellow; tail band brighter yellow; under tail-coverts more orange; abdominal spot may be present as a brownish-red tinge; abdomen slightly more yellowish.
Immature: Resembles immature ofP. p. ponapensis.
Measurements.—Measurements are listed intable 25. Ripley and Birckhead (1942:7) give the measurements of the only known specimen from Ebon (Marshall Islands) as: wing, 124; tail, 74; bill from base, 15.
Specimens examined.—Total number, 11 (6 males, 5 females), as follows: Caroline Islands, USNM—Kusaie, 1 (Feb. 9); AMNH—Kusaie, 10 (Jan., Feb., March, April).
Remarks.—I am following Ripley and Birckhead (1942:6) in identifying the dove from Ebon Island as of the subspeciesP. p. hernsheimi. This specimen from Ebon may, however, represent the final vestige of a formerly well-distributed population in the Marshall Islands. This distribution is of particular interest because it may show the pathway by which these small fruit pigeons invaded eastern Micronesia from Polynesia.
The small fruit dove at Kusaie has apparently the same habitat requirements as others of the species. Coultas (field notes) comments that in 1931 the birds were "quite common." He found them in the high trees on the mountain sides away from the native villages and gardens.
Ptilinopus pelewensisHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 7. (Type locality, Pelew Islands.)
Ptilinopus pelewensisHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 7. (Type locality, Pelew Islands.)
Ptilinopus pelewensisHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 118 (Pelew); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 225 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 101 (Pelew); Gräffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 1, 1873, pl. 7, fig. 5 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 24 (Palau); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, p. 37 (Palau); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 407 (Palau); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Palau); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 56 (Pelew); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 32 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Palau); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Babeltop, Korror); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Babelthuap, Koror).
Ptilinopus pelewensisHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 118 (Pelew); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 225 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 101 (Pelew); Gräffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 1, 1873, pl. 7, fig. 5 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 24 (Palau); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, p. 37 (Palau); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 407 (Palau); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Palau); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 56 (Pelew); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 32 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Palau); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Babeltop, Korror); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 213 (Babelthuap, Koror).
Ptilonopus pelewensisFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1874, p. 94 (Pelew).
Ptilonopus pelewensisFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1874, p. 94 (Pelew).
Ptilopus pelewensisGiebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 366 (Pelew); Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1878, p. 531 (Palau); Schmeltz, Verhandl. Ver. nat. Unterhatlung Hamburg, 1877 (1879), p. 178 (Pelew); Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 44 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 584 (Pelew);idem, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 48 (Pelew); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 86 (Pelew); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Pelew); Reichenow, Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 354 (Palau); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Pelew).
Ptilopus pelewensisGiebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 366 (Pelew); Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1878, p. 531 (Palau); Schmeltz, Verhandl. Ver. nat. Unterhatlung Hamburg, 1877 (1879), p. 178 (Pelew); Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 44 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 584 (Pelew);idem, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 48 (Pelew); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 86 (Pelew); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Pelew); Reichenow, Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 354 (Palau); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Pelew).
Ptilinopus porphyraceus pelewensisRipley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 7 (Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 60 (Peleliu, Ngabad, Garakayo).
Ptilinopus porphyraceus pelewensisRipley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 7 (Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 60 (Peleliu, Ngabad, Garakayo).
Geographic range.—Micronesia: Palau Islands—Babelthuap, Koror, Garakayo, Peleliu, Ngabad, Anguar.
Characters.—Adult male: A green fruit pigeon with anterior lores and crown purple, margined with pale yellow; forehead paler than crown; chin and midthroat pale yellow; neck, sides of head, and breast greenish-gray, darker on occiput; feathers of upper breast cross-banded with partly concealed violet bands; abdomen orange, its lower part and region of vent yellow; sides greenish; tibia grayish; under tail-coverts near "Indian lake" with yellowish-orange edgings; upper parts green; wings metallic green, secondaries and primaries margined on outer webs with yellow; inner secondaries spotted with violet-blue near tips; under wing gray; upper side of tail green with pale yellow terminal band; under side of tail gray; bill lead-colored; feet dark blood-red.
Adult female: Resembles adult male, but upper parts greener with upper side of wing and upper tail-coverts washed with olivaceous-brown; breast duskier. Immature resembles adult, but lacks purple crown, violet breast spot, orange abdomen and maroon under tail-coverts; upper and lower parts margined with yellow; forehead pale green; supercillary stripe pale yellow.
P. p. pelewensisresemblesP. p. ponapensis, but crown more purple; yellow tail-bar narrower; bifurcated, central breast feathers violet; abdomen orange; and under tail-coverts near "Indian lake".
Measurements.—Measurements are presented intable 25.
Specimens examined.—Total number, 14 (10 males, 4 females), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM—Koror, 3 (Nov. 14, Dec. 3)—Garakayo, 1 (Sept. 19)—Peleliu, 3 (Aug. 27, Sept. 1, 4)—Ngabad, 2 (Sept. 11)—Pelew, 2 (Mar. 1, 2); AMNH—Palau, 3 (Oct., Dec.).
Nesting.—At Ngabad Island on September 11, 1945, the NAMRU2 party found a nest in jungle in a low tree about six feet above the ground. It was loosely constructed and contained a single white egg, size 31 by 23 mm. Another nest was found at Ngabad the same day. It was on the branch of a tree approximately 20 feet from the ground. The nest was not examined other than to observe a parent bird on the nest. Three males obtained in August and in September had enlarged testes. Males taken in December by Coultas had enlarged testes.
Food Habits.—Stomachs examined by the NAMRU2 party contained fruit parts and seeds. This species seemingly obtains its foods from the large fruit-producing trees and to a lesser extent from the smaller shrubs or from ground berries.
Remarks.—P. p. pelewensiswas found in small numbers at all islands visited in the southern Palaus by the NAMRU2 party in 1945. At Peleliu, the bird was restricted to undisturbed woodlands and thickets, although some were seen in the thickly growing vegetation covering over the battle areas. The bird evidently lives a solitary existence; it was only rarely observed in pairs. It was often located by its calls. Coultas (field notes) reports that in 1931 the species was becoming rare in the Palaus, owing to persistent hunting by the Japanese, who sold the bird for 25 sen each.
Columba roseicapillaLesson, Traité d'Ornith., 6, 1831, p. 472. (Type locality, Marianne Islands.)
Columba roseicapillaLesson, Traité d'Ornith., 6, 1831, p. 472. (Type locality, Marianne Islands.)
Columba roseicapillaLesson, Compl. de Buffon, 2d ed., 2, Oiseaux, 1838, p. 278 (Mariannes).
Columba roseicapillaLesson, Compl. de Buffon, 2d ed., 2, Oiseaux, 1838, p. 278 (Mariannes).
Columba purpurataKittlitz, Kupfertaf. Naturgesch. Vögel, 3, 1833, p. 25, pl. 23, fig. 2 (Guahan);idem, Obser. Zool., in Lutké, Voy. "Le Séniavine," 3, 1836, p. 305 (Guahan).
Columba purpurataKittlitz, Kupfertaf. Naturgesch. Vögel, 3, 1833, p. 25, pl. 23, fig. 2 (Guahan);idem, Obser. Zool., in Lutké, Voy. "Le Séniavine," 3, 1836, p. 305 (Guahan).
Ptilinopus purpuratusHartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1854, p. 167 (Mariannen); Hartert, Katalog Vogelsamml. Senckenb., 1891, p. 190 (Guaham).
Ptilinopus purpuratusHartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1854, p. 167 (Mariannen); Hartert, Katalog Vogelsamml. Senckenb., 1891, p. 190 (Guaham).
Ptilopus roseicapillusBonaparte, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris, 39, 1854, p. 877 (Mariannes);idem, Icon. Pigeons, 1857, pl. 23 and desc. letterpress (Mariannes); Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, 6, no. 35, 1873, p. 8 (Guam); Giebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 368 (Mariannae); Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1878, p. 537 (Marianne); Oustalet, Le Nat., 1889, p. 261 (Mariannes); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 584 (Marianne);idem, Abhandl. und Ber Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 48 (Marianne); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 108 (Marianne Islands); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 218 (Saypan, Guam, Rota); Safford, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 264 (Guam); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Mariannes); Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 78 (Guam); Schnee, Zeitschr. f. Naturwisch., 82, 1912, p. 465 (Marianen); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 101 (Marianen); Reichenow, Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 354 (Marianen); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 20 (Guam); Bryan, Guam Rec. vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Thompson, Guam and its people, 1942, p. 23 (Guam).
Ptilopus roseicapillusBonaparte, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris, 39, 1854, p. 877 (Mariannes);idem, Icon. Pigeons, 1857, pl. 23 and desc. letterpress (Mariannes); Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, 6, no. 35, 1873, p. 8 (Guam); Giebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 368 (Mariannae); Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1878, p. 537 (Marianne); Oustalet, Le Nat., 1889, p. 261 (Mariannes); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1891, p. 584 (Marianne);idem, Abhandl. und Ber Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 48 (Marianne); Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 108 (Marianne Islands); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 218 (Saypan, Guam, Rota); Safford, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 264 (Guam); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 736 (Mariannes); Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 78 (Guam); Schnee, Zeitschr. f. Naturwisch., 82, 1912, p. 465 (Marianen); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 101 (Marianen); Reichenow, Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 354 (Marianen); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 20 (Guam); Bryan, Guam Rec. vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 24 (Guam); Thompson, Guam and its people, 1942, p. 23 (Guam).
Kurukuru roseicapillusPrévost and Des Murs, Voy. "Venus," Oiseaux, 1855, pp. 221, 231, 257, 259, 269 (Guam).
Kurukuru roseicapillusPrévost and Des Murs, Voy. "Venus," Oiseaux, 1855, pp. 221, 231, 257, 259, 269 (Guam).
Ptilopus roseicapillaBonaparte, Consp. Avium, 2, 1855, p. 21 (Mariannis).
Ptilopus roseicapillaBonaparte, Consp. Avium, 2, 1855, p. 21 (Mariannis).
Ptilonopus roseicapillusGray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 31 (Guam); Reichenbach, Tauben, 1861, p. 96 (Mariannen); Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1874, p. 94 (Mariannes).
Ptilonopus roseicapillusGray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 31 (Guam); Reichenbach, Tauben, 1861, p. 96 (Mariannen); Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1874, p. 94 (Mariannes).
Ptilinopus roseicapillusFinsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, pp. 122, 127 (Mariannen); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 225 (Ladrones); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 60 (Guam, Rota, Saipan); Wheeler, Report Island of Guam, 1900, p. 13 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 39 (Guam, Rota, Saipan); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Guam, Saipan); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 68 (Marianas);idem, Amer. Anthro., 4, 1902, p. 711 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 56 (Guam, Rota, Saipan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 33 (Marianne); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Tinian, Saipan, Rota); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 212 (Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 288 (Marianas); Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 1946, p. 95 (Tinian); Watson, The Raven, 17, 1946, p. 42 (Guam); Strophlet, Auk, 63, 1946, p. 538 (Guam); Baker, Condor, 49, 1947, p. 125 (Guam); Stott, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 526 (Saipan); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 59 (Guam, Rota).
Ptilinopus roseicapillusFinsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, pp. 122, 127 (Mariannen); Gray, Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 225 (Ladrones); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 60 (Guam, Rota, Saipan); Wheeler, Report Island of Guam, 1900, p. 13 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 39 (Guam, Rota, Saipan); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Guam, Saipan); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 68 (Marianas);idem, Amer. Anthro., 4, 1902, p. 711 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 56 (Guam, Rota, Saipan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 33 (Marianne); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 190 (Tinian, Saipan, Rota); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 212 (Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 288 (Marianas); Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 1946, p. 95 (Tinian); Watson, The Raven, 17, 1946, p. 42 (Guam); Strophlet, Auk, 63, 1946, p. 538 (Guam); Baker, Condor, 49, 1947, p. 125 (Guam); Stott, Auk, 64, 1947, p. 526 (Saipan); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 59 (Guam, Rota).
Ptilopus diadematusGiebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 363 (Marianae).
Ptilopus diadematusGiebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 363 (Marianae).
Ptilinopus roseicapillaPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam); Ripley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 3 (Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan).
Ptilinopus roseicapillaPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 31 (Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam); Ripley and Birckhead, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1192, 1942, p. 3 (Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan).
Geographic range.—Micronesia: Mariana Islands—Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan.
Characters.—Adult male: A green dove with crown, forehead, anterior lores, and spot at base of mandible near "aster purple," margined with pale yellow especially on top of head; chin and throat pale yellow to white; sides of head greenish-gray, darker on occiput; breast green with pearly-gray tinge on feathers of middle part; lower breast with dark purple patch; abdomen orange with yellowish-green coloring at midline; anal region and lower tail-coverts yellow, tinged with orange on lower tail-coverts; sides and tibia greenish with yellow tinges; upper parts green, more yellowish-green on rump; wings glossy, upper wing-coverts brighter in middle and margined with yellow; under side of wing and under side of tail gray; upper side of tail green with broad grayish terminal band margined with yellow; iris pale yellow; bill grass-green; legs and feet reddish-black.
Adult female: Resembles male, but slightly smaller with neck greener. Immature resembles adult, but lacking colored crown; body feathers edged with yellow.
Birds from Guam, Rota, and Tinian exhibit no conspicuous differences.P. roseicapillusis closest toP. reginaof southern Papua, Lesser Sunda Islands, and Australia being, according to Ripley and Birckhead (1942:3), "Similar toregina, but crown and abdominal band darker; malar apex concolorous with crown; hind neck more grayish; tail-bar wider and paler."
Measurements.—Measurements ofP. roseicapillusare presented intable 26.
Weights.—In 1948 (1948:59) I listed the weights of 14 adult males as 81-103 (90), of 4 adult females as 85-99 (92), and of one nestling in post natal molt as 44 grams. These were taken at Guam.
Specimens examined.—Total number, 43 (32 males, 10 females, 1 unsexed), as follows: Mariana Islands, USNM—Guam, 28 (March 8, May 25, 27, June 3, 12, 14, July 2, 6, 10, 18, 19, 29, Aug. 21)—Rota, 3 (Oct. 28, 31, Nov. 2)—Tinian, 1 (Oct. 26); AMNH—Guam, 8 (Aug.)—Tinian, 3 (Sept.).
Table 26. Measurements ofPtilinopus roseicapillus
Table 26. Measurements ofPtilinopus roseicapillus
Nesting.—At Guam, I obtained records of nests of fruit doves on March 1, 1927, and May 7, 1945. David H. Johnson observed a pair of fruit doves in the act of copulation on May 26, 1945. Birds with enlarged gonads were taken by the NAMRU2 party in March and July. A nestling in post natal molt, just beginning to fly, was taken on July 6. Seale (1901:39) reports two nests, each containing one white egg, taken in the period from May to July. These nests were found in trees eight to ten feet above the ground.
Food habits.—The Marianas Fruit Dove feeds on fruits and seeds of trees and shrubs. The birds are apparently strictly tree dwellers; I saw no birds on the ground. A favorite fruit is that of a flowering shrub known as the "ink berry." Birds were collected which contained stomachs full of these small black berries. The fruit of the papaya is also a favorite food.
Remarks.—The NAMRU2 party found the Marianas Fruit Dove at Guam to be fairly numerous in undisturbed jungle, and more abundant in the heavy, second-growth, scrub-forest as was found on Amantes Point in 1945. The birds were secretive but were easily located by their calls. They were usually found as singles sitting quietly concealed in thick vegetation. Birds were seen flying rather infrequently, and then only for short distances. The removal of large tracts of jungle to provide space for the construction of air strips and installations in the late war has disturbed some of the habitat of these birds. Although vast tracts of forest were undisturbed, the birds probably have decreased at Guam. Coultas (field notes) found the birds common at the northern end of Guam in 1931. He commented that natives catch them with snares and bird lime for the local markets. At Tinian in 1931, Coultas found few birds. Downs (1946:95) and Stott (1947:526) record the birds at Tinian and Saipan, respectively, in 1945. At Rota, the NAMRU2 party found the dove to be numerous.
Evolutionary history of Ptilinopus in Micronesia.—Oceania is especially rich in species and subspecies of the genusPtilinopus. Ripley and Birckhead (1942) have made the most recent and most thorough contribution concerning these birds. They state that the center of distribution for the genus lies in the Papuan region. Within the Oceanic region there are several species ofPtilinopuswhich in one way or another are rather closely related; Rensch (1938:277) uses these as examples of species which have been formed by isolation. These includeP. perousiifrom Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga;P. mercieriifrom the Marquesas;P. dupetithouarsiifrom the Marquesas;P. huttonifrom Rapa;P. purpuratusfrom Henderson, Tuamotus, Societies;P. porphyraceusfrom Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Carolines, Solomons, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and adjacent areas; andP. roseicapillusfrom Marianas. In all of these birds the crown is wine-red except inP. dupetithouarsiiin which it is whitish.P. porphyraceusappears to be more closely related toP. purpuratusthan to any other species and is characterized by an often brightly washed spot of color of some shade of red or orange on the breast. These birds may have invaded Micronesia from the region of the Solomon Islands, although it appears more likely that they arose in the Samoa-Fiji-Tonga region and moved northward, probably by way of the Marshall Islands.P. p. hernsheimifrom Kusaie andP. p. ponapensisfrom Ponapé and Truk resembleP. p. faciatusPeale from Samoa more closely than they do any other subspecies.P. p. pelewensisfrom Palau, on the other hand shows little relation to these other two Micronesian subspecies and appears to be closest toP. p. porphyraceusof Fiji and Tonga or possibly toP. grayifrom Melanesia. Ripley and Birckhead (1942:7) suggest that the subspecies at Palau owes its marked divergence to its isolated position at the periphery of the range of the species.P. p. pelewensisprobably represents an independent and an earlier colonization, possibly from a stock different from that from which the two subspecies in the Carolines arose. The presence in the Palaus of subspecies singularly different from subspecies in the Carolines can also be observed in other genera, as for example,Rhipidura, andMyiagra.Figure 13shows the inferred routes of colonization ofPtilinopusto Micronesia.
P. roseicapillusseemingly represents a remnant, or perhaps a successful straggler, of an early invasion to Micronesia. Ripley and Birckhead (1942:2) classify this species as "Old Stock," along withP. monachus,P. coronulatusandP. regina. Its pathway of invasion to the Marianas was probably directly northward from the Papuan area and not by way of the Polynesian islands. Its resemblance to the speciesP. reginaof southern Papua, Lesser Sundas, and Australia is most unusual, especially since there is a separation between the two species of some 1,400 miles; this is pointed out by Ripley and Birckhead (1942:4). As I have said(1948:59) elsewhere, "On the basis of its characters the Mariana birds would merit only subspecific separation, but owing to the great distance between the two doves and the possibility of independent origin and subsequent convergence, it may be more advisable to continue to regard the two as separate species."
Fig. 13Fig. 13.Geographic distribution ofPtilinopus porphyraceusand routes of its dispersal. (1)P. p. porphyraceus; (2)P. p. fasciatus; (3)P. p. hernsheimi; (4)P. p. ponapensis; (5)P. p. pelewensis.
Globicera oceanica monachaMomiyama, Birds Micronesia, March, 1922, p. 4. (Type locality, Yap.)
Globicera oceanica monachaMomiyama, Birds Micronesia, March, 1922, p. 4. (Type locality, Yap.)
Columba oceanicaLesson and Garnot (part), Dict. Sci. Nat., éd. Levrault, 40, 1826, p. 317 (Pelew); Lesson (part), Man. d'Ornith., 2, 1828, p. 166 (Pelew);idem(part), Voy. "La Coquille," Zool., 2, 1828, pp. 432, 709 (Pelew);idem, Compl. de Buffon, 2d ed., 2, Oiseaux, 1838, p. 292 (Pelew); Prévost and Knip, Les Pigeons, 2, 1838-43, p. 49 (Pelew).
Columba oceanicaLesson and Garnot (part), Dict. Sci. Nat., éd. Levrault, 40, 1826, p. 317 (Pelew); Lesson (part), Man. d'Ornith., 2, 1828, p. 166 (Pelew);idem(part), Voy. "La Coquille," Zool., 2, 1828, pp. 432, 709 (Pelew);idem, Compl. de Buffon, 2d ed., 2, Oiseaux, 1838, p. 292 (Pelew); Prévost and Knip, Les Pigeons, 2, 1838-43, p. 49 (Pelew).
Carpophaga oceanicaHartlaub (part), Archiv. f. Naturgesch., 18, 1852, p. 115 (Pelewinseln);idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 830 (Pelew); Gray (part), Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 229 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch (part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 101 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 26 (Palau);idem(part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), pp. 775, 780 (Palau); Salvadori (part), Cronaca del R. Liceo-Ginnasio Cavour, 1878, pp. 3, 8 (Pelew);idem, Ibis, 1879, p. 364 (Pelew); Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 42 (Pelew); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 52 (Pelew); Matschie (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Palau); Dubois (part), Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 743 (Pelew); Reichenow (part), Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 351 (Palau).
Carpophaga oceanicaHartlaub (part), Archiv. f. Naturgesch., 18, 1852, p. 115 (Pelewinseln);idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 830 (Pelew); Gray (part), Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 229 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch (part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 101 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 26 (Palau);idem(part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), pp. 775, 780 (Palau); Salvadori (part), Cronaca del R. Liceo-Ginnasio Cavour, 1878, pp. 3, 8 (Pelew);idem, Ibis, 1879, p. 364 (Pelew); Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 42 (Pelew); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 52 (Pelew); Matschie (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 113 (Palau); Dubois (part), Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 743 (Pelew); Reichenow (part), Die Vögel, 1, 1913, p. 351 (Palau).
Globicera oceanicaBonaparte (part), Consp. Avium, 2, 1855, p. 31 (Pelew); Reichenbach (part), Tauben, 1861, p. 120 (Pelew); Salvadori (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 176 (Pelew); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Pelew); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, pp. 486, 489 (Palau).
Globicera oceanicaBonaparte (part), Consp. Avium, 2, 1855, p. 31 (Pelew); Reichenbach (part), Tauben, 1861, p. 120 (Pelew); Salvadori (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 176 (Pelew); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Pelew); Uchida, Annot. Zool. Japon., 9, 1918, pp. 486, 489 (Palau).
Carpophaga (Globicera) oceanicaGray (part), Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 41 (Pelew).
Carpophaga (Globicera) oceanicaGray (part), Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 41 (Pelew).
Carpophaga pacificaFinsch and Hartlaub (part), Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 145 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 7, 118 (Pelew); Finsch and Hartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1870, p. 134 (Pelew).
Carpophaga pacificaFinsch and Hartlaub (part), Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 145 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 7, 118 (Pelew); Finsch and Hartlaub, Journ. f. Ornith., 1870, p. 134 (Pelew).
Globicera oceanica monachaKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 55 (Yap); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 46 (Yap); Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 408 (Yap); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 189 (Yap, Palau, Current = Palo Anna).
Globicera oceanica monachaKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 55 (Yap); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 46 (Yap); Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 408 (Yap); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 189 (Yap, Palau, Current = Palo Anna).
Globicera oceanica momiyamaiKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, March, 1922, pp. 25, 56 (Type locality, Angaur); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 46 (Pelew); Kuroda, Ibis, 1927, p. 719 (Pelew).
Globicera oceanica momiyamaiKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, March, 1922, pp. 25, 56 (Type locality, Angaur); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 46 (Pelew); Kuroda, Ibis, 1927, p. 719 (Pelew).
Muscadivora oceanica winkleriNeumann, Verhandl. Ornith. Ges. Bayern, 25, Sept. 1, 1922, p. 234 (Type locality, Palau).
Muscadivora oceanica winkleriNeumann, Verhandl. Ornith. Ges. Bayern, 25, Sept. 1, 1922, p. 234 (Type locality, Palau).
Ducula oceanica monachaPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 43 (Yap, Babelthuap, Koror, Angaur, Current); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 211 (Yap, Babelthuap, Koror, Angaur, Current); Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1237, 1943, p. 11 (Yap, Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Palau, Yap); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 66 (Peleliu, Garakayo, Babelthuap).
Ducula oceanica monachaPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 43 (Yap, Babelthuap, Koror, Angaur, Current); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 211 (Yap, Babelthuap, Koror, Angaur, Current); Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1237, 1943, p. 11 (Yap, Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Palau, Yap); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 66 (Peleliu, Garakayo, Babelthuap).
Geographic range.—Micronesia: Palau Islands—Babelthuap, Koror, Garakayo, Peleliu, Angaur, Palo Anna; Caroline Islands—Yap.
Characters.—Adult: ResemblesD. o. oceanicafrom Kusaie but throat, breast, head, and neck light ashy-gray; feathers around bill grayish-white; abdomen and under tail-coverts tipped with light brown.
Immature: Resembles adult, but underparts paler; back lacking dark bluish spots; back feathers and wing feathers edged with light brown.
Measurements.—Measurements ofD. oceanicaare listed intable 27.
Table 27. Measurements ofDucula oceanica
Table 27. Measurements ofDucula oceanica
8 males
6 females
5 males
8 females
8 males
5 females
4 males
13 females
6 males
3 females
[B]From Takatsukasa and Yamashina (1932:221).
Specimens examined.—Total number, 17 (9 males, 8 females), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM—Garakayo, 1 (Sept. 19)—Peleliu, 7 (Aug. 27, 28, 29, Sept. 4, 5); AMNH—Palau, 9 (Oct., Nov. 13, 15, 21, Dec. 1).
Nesting.—Yamashina (1932a:408) records the finding of one egg at Yap on December 3, 1930. The NAMRU2 party obtained no evidence of breeding activity of these pigeons at the Palaus in August and September, 1945. Coultas, in November and December of 1931, obtained birds with enlarged gonads at Palau. Probably the nesting season begins in November or December.
Food habits.—The pigeons feed on both fruits and green stuffs. The NAMRU2 party found berries, fruit parts and green plant materials in stomachs of birds taken in September, 1945. The birds were found to be exceedingly fat at this time.
Parasites.—Uchida (1918:486, 489) records the bird lice (Mallophaga),Goniocotes carpohagaeandColopocephalum unicolor, from this pigeon at Palau.
Remarks.—The Micronesian Pigeon at Palau was first observed in 1783, when Captain Henry Wilson of the packet "Antelope" was shipwrecked in these islands. In his account of the islands, as compiled by George Keate (Wilson, 1788), Wilson described the large pigeons, which were kept as pets by the natives and were eaten by only certain classes of people. In 1826, Lesson and Garnot made first reference to the birds found by Wilson. It was almost 100 years after Wilson's visit that the bird was again observed; this time it was obtained by the sea captains, Tetens and Heinsohn, and by Kubary, the collector for the Godeffroy Museum.
It is surprising that a pigeon as large and conspicuous as this one, has not already been exterminated by man on these small islands. Every traveller to the islands, who has made observations, writes that the pressure of hunting on these birds is severe. Coultas (field notes) reports that in 1931 the birds were "very scarce and wild." He comments that the Japanese hunters obtained the birds and received the market price of 35 sen for each one. He writes, "There is a group of Japanese hunters in the islands who vie with one another to see who can obtain the most birds. They are all atrocious shots but some employ natives and since so many of them are in the business they are inflicting considerable damage to the bird life. During my stay there one Japanese was sentenced to six weeks hard labor for hiring native hunters. The native hunter who preferred charges claimed that money was due him for having shot some 3,500 birds and the account had been standing over a year." Price (1936b:491) shows a picture of a captive pigeon at Palau. The natives used this bird as a calling decoy to attract others within range of their blowguns.
The NAMRU2 party observed pigeons at all islands visited in August and September, 1945. At Peleliu, the pigeons were found to be restricted to relatively undisturbed areas where tall treesremained or where shrubs were present on the faces of overhanging cliffs. The shrubs on cliffs were favorite roosting places. Although the pigeons remained in these relatively inaccessible areas, they were not especially difficult to obtain with shotguns. I can see that it might be difficult for unarmed hunters to obtain the birds. The present writer (1946b:210) has recorded the extensive utilization of pigeons, rails and megapodes by Japanese troops and by their prisoners of war at Babelthuap and Koror during the latter part of the war.
During our stay at Peleliu we were unable to learn whether the pigeon was still present at Pulo Anna (Current Island), a coral island some 160 miles southeast of Peleliu. The U. S. Navy frequently dispatched a ship to the island, but we did not learn of it until our stay at Peleliu was nearly over. Dr. C. K. Dorsey, then of the U. S. Naval Epidemiology Unit at Peleliu, reported that various kinds of birds were numerous at Pulo Anna, but he did not recall seeing the pigeon. This pigeon may occur also at Fais, a raised coral island west of Yap and Ulithi in the Carolines. I know of no reports dealing with the avifauna of this phosphate island, but I examined several pictures, taken by Navy landing parties and the Military Government personnel, which show the island to be covered with extensive and luxuriant vegetation. I suspect that an intensive survey of the island will reveal several new records for birds.
Globicera oceanica teraokaiMomiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 2. (Type locality, Tol, Truk Islands.)
Globicera oceanica teraokaiMomiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 2. (Type locality, Tol, Truk Islands.)
Columba oceanicaKittlitz (part), Kupfertaf. Naturgesch. Vögel, 3, 1833, p. 25, pl. 33, fig. 1 (Lugunor);idem(part), Obser. Zool., in Lutké, Voy. "Le Séniavine," 3, 1836, p. 299 (Lougounor); Hartlaub (part), Archiv f. Naturgesch., 18, 1852, pp. 115, 185, (Mordlockinseln).
Columba oceanicaKittlitz (part), Kupfertaf. Naturgesch. Vögel, 3, 1833, p. 25, pl. 33, fig. 1 (Lugunor);idem(part), Obser. Zool., in Lutké, Voy. "Le Séniavine," 3, 1836, p. 299 (Lougounor); Hartlaub (part), Archiv f. Naturgesch., 18, 1852, pp. 115, 185, (Mordlockinseln).
Carpophaga (Globicera) pacificaGray (part), Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 41 (Mortlock's Island).
Carpophaga (Globicera) pacificaGray (part), Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 41 (Mortlock's Island).
Carpophaga pacificaFinsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 146 (Lugunor).
Carpophaga pacificaFinsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 146 (Lugunor).
Carpophaga oceanicaFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Ruk); Schmeltz and Krause (part), Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 330, 353 (Nukuor, Ruk); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 52 (Luganor, Ruk, Nukuor); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 8 (Ruk).
Carpophaga oceanicaFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Ruk); Schmeltz and Krause (part), Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 330, 353 (Nukuor, Ruk); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 52 (Luganor, Ruk, Nukuor); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 8 (Ruk).
Globicera oceanicaSalvadori (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 176 (Ruk); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Ruk).
Globicera oceanicaSalvadori (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 21, 1893, p. 176 (Ruk); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 52 (Ruk).
Globicera oceanica teraokaiKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 55 (Ruk, ?Mortlock, ?Nukuor); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 45 (Ruk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 189 (Truk).
Globicera oceanica teraokaiKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 55 (Ruk, ?Mortlock, ?Nukuor); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 45 (Ruk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 189 (Truk).
M[uscadivora] o[ceanica] oceanicaNeumann (part), Verhandl. Ornith. Ges. Bayern, 25, 1922, p. 234 (Ualam = Truk).
M[uscadivora] o[ceanica] oceanicaNeumann (part), Verhandl. Ornith. Ges. Bayern, 25, 1922, p. 234 (Ualam = Truk).
Ducula oceanica teraokaiPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 43 (Truk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 212 (Truk); Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1237, 1943, p. 11 (Truk); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Truk).
Ducula oceanica teraokaiPeters, Check-list Birds World, 3, 1937, p. 43 (Truk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 212 (Truk); Amadon, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1237, 1943, p. 11 (Truk); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 289 (Truk).
Geographic range.—Micronesia: Caroline Islands—Truk, ?Lukunor, ?Nukuoro.
Characters.—Adult: ResemblesD. o. monacha, but slightly darker on crown, nape, and mantle; back more bluish and less greenish, underparts slightly darker chestnut. Differs fromD. o. townsendiby being paler and gray on crown, nape, shoulder, side of neck, and upper breast; abdomen and under tail-coverts slightly deeper chestnut. Differs fromD. o. oceanicaby larger size; upper parts paler; abdomen and under side of tail deeper chestnut. I agree with Amadon (1943:11) that this subspecies is only doubtfully distinct fromD. o. monachaand that it might be advisable to unite these under one subspecific name.
Measurements.—Measurements are listed intable 27.
Specimens examined.—Total number, 14 (5 males, 9 females, 1 unsexed) from Caroline Islands, AMNH—Truk (Nov., Dec.).
Remarks.—The Micronesian Pigeon at Truk was observed by Kittlitz (1836:299) and later by Kubary at the islands of Lukunor and Nukuoro. Momiyama (1922:4) remarks that he did not see specimens from these two islands but concludes that they probably belong to the subspecies named from Truk. It is possible that birds at these two atolls have been exterminated, although adequate field investigations have not been made.
There is little information published concerning the natural history of this subspecies. McElroy, who visited Truk in December, 1945, did not find the bird; however, he did not visit all of the islands in the group during his stay.