TJic Ulac-crowucd I'rnit-Pigeou. 147 



from Aru Island, New Guinea, of which we now have a fine 

 healthy youngster feeding itself and fully grown. 



r^uring lSla.y one pair of Lilac-crowns determined to 

 1)1 a vc the crowd of mixed softbills which share their aviary, and 

 began looking at nesting boxes. 



The weather was abominable, so fortunately they chose 

 a fairly deep box nailed to a beam indoors, and already filled 

 with straw and shavings. 



No nesting material was carried by the birds, and one 

 egg only was laid. During the eighteen days of incubation, 

 which the cock and hen shared, the nest was never left for a 

 moment. (Jn June 24th the presence of broken eggshell on 

 the floor proclaimed the hatching of the squab, which the parent 

 bird allowed us to look at by lifting her w'ing. In an agony 

 of suspense for the safety of the precious mite we removed to 

 the neighbouring aviary a Black-necked Grackle of inquisitive 

 habits and sharp probing bill, but for the rest had to trust to 

 luck. 



However, fortune favoured us, and on the eleventh day 

 after hatching, the baby showed itself for the first time on the 

 cage of the nest, and on the following day astonished us by 

 flying quite strongly across the aviary on to a branch. 



It was then about the size of a Pekin Robin, and under 

 its yellow fluff was much the same colour as its parents. The 

 following description of this beautiful Fruit Pigeon is taken 

 from the British Museum Catalogue : — 



" Adult male, green with golden reflections; pileum 

 rose-lilac, edged posteriorly with deep purple, and surrounded 

 with a yellow band; sides of head greyish-green; chin and throat 

 yellowish; a patch on the middle of abdomen Hlac-violet; vent 

 and under wing-coverts yellow; wings glossy green, with 

 slight bluish tinge; quills and greater wing-coverts edged with 

 yellow; tail above glossy green, the feathers edged with yellow 

 towards the tip; tail below grey, bill olive green; feet purple- 

 red, irides with an inner circle red and an outer one yellow. 

 Length 7.86 inches. Tail 2.55 inches. Female hke male, 

 but the yellow of abdomen and under tail-coverts paler. Young, 

 pileum green, and no lilac-violet patch on middle of abdomen." 

 As regards the last sentence one voung bird distinctlv showed 



