COLUMBID.l^:. . 405 



on the ground. The nest is formed upon a tree. 

 The female lays two eggs for each sitting. 



The type of this sub-family is — 



The Crowned Pigeon {Goura coronata). This splendid 

 Pigeon is indisputaljly the most conspicuous of its tribe, 

 its great size and splendid crest rendering it a most 

 striking ol)ject, even at a considerable distance. So large 

 and so un-pigeon-like is this bird, that few, on first seeing 

 it, would be likely to recognize its relationship to the rest 

 of the race. It is a native of Java, New Guinea, and 

 Japan. In the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's Park 

 there are several of these birds, whose manners are very 

 curious and interesting. Their walk is quite of a royal 

 character, stately and majestic, and well according with 

 the beautiful feathered crown which they wear upon their 

 heads. The crest seems always to be held expanded. 

 They have the habit of sunning themselves upon the hot 

 pavement of their prison by lying on one side, laying the 

 head flat on the ground, tucking the lower wing under 

 them, and spreading the other over their bodies, so as tt) 

 form a very shallow tent, each quill-feather being sepa- 

 rated from its neighbour, and radiating around the body. 

 Sometimes the bird varies this attitude by stretching the 

 other wing to its full length, and holding it from the 

 ground at an angle of twenty degrees or so, as if to take 

 advantage of every sunbeam and waft of air. While 

 lying in this unique attitude, it might easily pass at a 

 distance for a moss-covered stone, a heap of withered 

 leaves, or a rugged tree-stump with one broken branch 

 projecting from the side : no one would think of taking it 

 for a bird. — (Rev. J. G, Wood.) 



