ii8 



time before he was fortuuate enough to secure the 

 negative. 



In a curious book written and published in 1858 

 by John M. Eaton may be found a description of this 

 bird, " extracted from the learned and excellent work, 

 "the Naturalist's Library (Ornitholog}^, Vol. 5 ; Galli- 

 " naceous Birds, Part 3 — Pigeons. — By Pridkaux 

 " Selby, Esq." From this we learn that the voice of 

 the male is " a hoarse murmuring or cooing, accom- 

 "panied by a noise seemingly produced by the com- 

 "pression or forcible ejection of the air contained 

 *' within the thorax, something similar to that so 

 " frequently heard from the turkey." 



Eaton also gives a coloured plate of the bird by 

 Dean Wolstenholme of by no means indifferent merit, 

 considering the date of its appearance, and in his 

 inimitably quaint diction furnishes us with items of 

 some interest as to its value in this country so far back 

 as 1851. " At the sale of the late Earl of Derby, at 

 " Knowsley, 185 1, lot 461 was five of these Crowned 

 " Pigeons. I have seen them ; they are very hand- 

 " some ; they do not appear to have bred at Knowsley, 

 "or any place I am aware of in this country 



" Since writing the last paragraph .... I was in 

 " company with my brother fancier, M. CORKER ; we 

 "had to pass through Leadenhall Market, made up 

 " our minds to call on Mr. Castang, ' for Auld Lang 

 "Syne' as a matter of course, over which Fanciers 

 "have no control, the Fancy was uppermost, talking 

 " of the greatest weight of Runts, the idea came into 

 " my head of the great Crown Pigeon (I saw, I believe, 

 " at the Baker Street Bazaar, Poultry and Pigeon 

 " Show), I asked Mr. Corker and Mr. Castang if 



