346 CHARADRIIFORMES CHAP. 
Serresius galeatus, of the Marquesas Islands, noted for the feathered 
skin or “saddle” covering half the culmen, is deep glossy green, 
with dark grey head and under parts. All these Fruit-Pigeons 
feed and build on lofty trees, and seldom, if ever, descend to 
the ground—possessing short legs and broad-soled grasping feet ; 
they have a powerful rapid flight and utter varied notes, occa- 
sionally deep and booming like a wild beast’s roar; they eat vast 
quantities of fruit, and some are very fond of mice; while they 
normally lay two eggs, but exceptionally one. 
The five splendid species of JZegaloprepia occupy the Northern 
Moluccas, Papuasia, and Eastern Australia. Jf magnifica of 
the latter country has a greenish-grey head and neck, golden- 
green upper parts with an oblique yellow band on the wing- 
coverts, rich purple breast and abdomen, and yellow vent. J/. 
formosa of the Halmahera group lacks the yellow on the wings 
and has, in the male only, a crimson patch on the greenish breast. 
The other three species are barely separable. The habits re- 
semble those of Carpophaga, the note being peculiarly hoarse. 
Alectoroenas comprises four remarkable forms from Madagascar 
and the neighbouring islands, of which A. nitidissima of Mauri- 
tius has become extinct within historic times, three specimens 
being still extant at Port Louis, Paris, and Edinburgh respec- 
tively. This species, called “ Pigeon hollondais” from its colours, 
which are those of the Dutch flag, is indigo-blue, with white head 
and neck, vermilion tail-coverts and tail edged with black, and red 
carunculated orbits, lores, and forehead. A. madagascariensis, of 
Madagascar and Nossibé Island, has most of the neck slaty-grey, 
but the head blue, and the tail crimson with a wash of blue and 
ereen at the base, while the naked skin only surrounds the eyes. 
A, pulcherrima of the Seychelles, to which the name of “ Pigeon 
hollondais ” has been transferred, has the neck and breast grey, 
the upper parts, including the tail, black with blue reflexions, the 
‘crown crimson, the orbits, lores, and forehead wattled. A. sganzini 
of the Comoro Islands differs in having a grey head and only 
the orbits bare. Throughout the genus the long, loosely webbed 
and bifurcated neck-feathers resemble hackles in appearance. The 
members are, according to circumstances, tame and stupid, or shy 
and wary; they are arboreal and fly powerfully, while they feed 
on dates, figs, berries and grain, the flocks being very destructive 
to rice-crops. Drepanoptila holosericea, of New Caledonia and 
