_Characters._--Adult: Resembles _D. o. oceanica_ from 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 of _D. oceanica_ are listed in table 27. TABLE 27. MEASUREMENTS OF _Ducula oceanica_ =================+==========+=============+================+========== SUBSPECIES | Number | Wing | Exposed culmen | Tarsus -----------------+----------+-------------+----------------+---------- | | | | _D. o. monacha_ | 8 males |228 (219-233)| |36 (34-37) | 6 females|221 (214-228)|22.5 (22.0-23.0)|31 (29-33) | | | | _D. o. teraokai_ | 5 males |230 (225-237)|23.5 (23.0-25.0)|34 (33-35) | 8 females|231 (221-238)|23.0 (21.5-24.5)|34 (33-35) | | | | _D. o. townsendi_| 8 males |226 (211-234)|24.0 (23.5-25.0)|34 (32-35) | 5 females|226 (215-233)|24.0 (23.0-24.5)|33 (32-34) | | | | _D. o. oceanica_ | 4 males |222 (217-228)|25.0 (24.5-26.0)|35 (34-36) |13 females|219 (213-226)|24.0 (23.0-25.0)|32 (30-34) | | | | _D. o. | | | | ratakensis_[B] | 6 males | (211-217)| (25.0-27.0)| | 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 carpohagae_ and _Colopocephalum unicolor_, from this pigeon at Palau.