106 BIRDS OF AUSTRAJilA. 



Genus PTILINOPUS, Swainson. 



The species of this genus, the most brilKant and highly- 

 coloured of the Colimibid(B, range over Australia, New Guinea, 

 the Moluccas, the Celebes, and Polynesia. 



Sp. 451. PTILINOPUS SWAINSONII, Gould. 

 Swainson's Pruit-Pigeon. 



Ptilinopus purpuratus, var. regina, Swains. Zool. Jouru., vol. i. p. 474 ? 

 Columba purpurata , Jard. and Selb. 111. Orn., vol. ii. pi. 70. 

 Ptilinojjus swainsonii, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part x. p. 18. 

 Ptilopus swainsoni, Bonap.Coup d'OEil desPig.,Compt. Rend.de I'Acad. 

 Sci., torn, xxxix et xl. 1854, 1855. 



Ptilinopus swainsonii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v. pi. 55. 



The specimens from which my description of this species 

 was taken are from the brushes of the river Clarence, in 

 which district and in many parts of Queensland it is tolerably 

 abundant, the dense and luxuriant brushes affording it a con- 

 genial habitat and breeding-place ; but as I have never myself 

 seen this bird in a state of nature, I am unable to give any 

 account of its habits or economy. The sexes are so nearly 

 alike in colouring that dissection alone can distinguish them 

 with certainty. 



Porehead and crown deep crimson-red, surrounded except 

 in front with a narrow ring of light yellow ; back of the neck 

 greyish green ; all the upper surface bright green tinged with 

 yellow, the green becoming deep blue towards the extremities 

 of the tertiaries, which are broadly margined with yellow; 

 primaries slaty grey on their inner webs and green on the 

 outer, very slightly margined with yellow ; tail-feathers deep 

 green, largely tipped with rich yellow ; throat greenish grey, 

 stained with yellow on the chin in some specimens and 

 greyish white in others ; breast dull green, each feather forked 

 at the end and with a triangular silvery-grey spot at each 



