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group, now known as Makatea. As there is a Maitea or Mehetia island
in the Society group, about a hundred and twenty miles due south of
Makatea, all, or almost all subsequent writers have considered it to
be the home of this bird, and it is so recorded by Wiglesworth, Sal-
vadori, Sharpe, etc. Wilson had several from Makatea given to him by
a friend at Tahiti, but he did not remark on the supposed unusual
locality; and the suspected new genus of pigeon from Makatea, mentioned
by Nicoll (Ibis, 1904, 57) was doubtless this species.
Townsend says the species is "rather common."
PERISTERIDAE.
Gallicolumba pectoralis (Peale). (Type locality: Aratika.)
Aratika: Peale.
?Manihi: Peale.
Peale landed on Carlshoff (or Aratika) Sept. 3, 1839, at 2 P. M.,
and remained until sunset. The island then contained "but a few acres
of forest land," but the trees had a dense growth of bushes under them,
thus giving fair cover for this species of ground pigeon. It was
probably due to this restricted area that he got two specimens of the
bird, the only individuals he saw and the only ones thus far known.
These are immature, or possibly an immature bird and a female, and
lack the distinguishing characters that mark most of the species, and
have thus never been fully identified, nor even definitely ascer-
tained to be different from any species of neighboring groups of islands.
If hogs or cats have been liberated on the island since 1839, or if the