THE



23



Avicultural Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



Third Series .— Vol. VII.—No. 1. —All rights reserved. NOVEMBER, 1915.



THE RED-CROWNED PIGEON.


A lectrcenas pulcherrima.


By E. G. B. Meade-Waldo.


In the December number of the “Avicultural Magazine” (1914)

is an article on the pigeon hollanclais, by Dr. Graham Renshaw.

It interested me very much, as it referred to a pigeon that I, in

company with Mr. M. I. Nicoll, procured on the Island of Mahe,

Seychelles, in the spring of 1906, when cruising with the late Lord

Crawford on the yacht “Valhalla.” During this cruise we had the

good fortune to become acquainted with three out of the four exist¬

ing species of this group of pigeons. The fifth species ( Alectroenas

nitidissima), of Mauritius, having become extinct, it was by far the

largest and most beautiful of all. The fourth species {Alectroenas

madagascariensis ) we did not see, although we were in Madagascar.

It is a large bird, the hackle much darker in colour, and has a dark

red tail, rump, and under tail coverts.


The bird referred to by Dr. Benshaw was one of three that we

brought home, and lived for some time in the Western Aviary. We

saw many of these birds on the Cascade Estate, which belongs to

Mr. Thomasset, who is a member of this Society, and where, in

common with others of the very interesting' peculiar species, they are

carefully preserved. Like all the native birds, this species is quite

fearless. Those we procured being caught by the simple method of

slipping a noose over their heads when sitting on a branch. Its

natural food consists of various fruits, principally small fig's.


We saw this bird also on Felicitd Island, and it is found also



