122 PHEASANT-TAILED PIGEON. 



from the forehead, is nearly three quarters of an inch 

 long ; the tip of the upper mandible is moderately 

 arched, and having a distinct notch or emargination ; 

 that of the under angulated and strong. The throat is 

 yellowish- white. The head, the sides, and front of the 

 neck, as well as the whole of the under plumage is 

 orange-brown. The hinder part of the neck is of a 

 rich violet-purple, with brilliant golden reflections, 

 changing according to the play of light. The back, 

 the wing-coverts, and remainder of the upper plu- 

 mage, are of a deep reddish-brown , in some lights 

 exhibiting a bronzed gloss. The tail, which is gra- 

 duated or of a cuneiform shape, has the two middle 

 feathers of an uniform brown, the lateral are marked 

 with an oblique transverse bar or black. The feet 

 and naked part of the legs are reddish-brown. The 

 sole of the hind and inner toes is greatly expand- 

 ed, which gives a large and firm base of support 

 to the bird when moving amidst the branches of the 

 trees. 



The young differ from the adults, in having the 

 neck of a dirty reddish-brown, fasciated with narrow 

 bars of black, the abdomen of a pale reddish-grey, 

 notched with very minute dark specks, the back in- 

 clines more to hair-brown, and the smaller wing-co- 

 verts are deeply edged with orange-brown. 



It was first described by M. Temminck in the 

 Transactions of the Linnean Society, from a speci- 

 men brought from Australia, but has since been found 

 in most of the Philippine and Molucca islands, Java, 



