WIDOW BIRDS. 59 



on whatever side the object of attack or court- 

 ship may be, the hood is so brought as to hide 

 all but the sharp, bright eye. The attitudes of 

 this, as well as of others of the pheasant tribe, 

 are invariably graceful, whether upon the ground, 

 or perched upon the branches of a tree. 



The silver, or pencilled pheasants, the Pah, 

 haan of the Chinese, were in fine plumage ; and 

 among many other attractions in the collection, 

 was the Wow, wow, or blue pigeon, of New South 

 Wales, which has bred in the aviary. The pre- 

 sent, full-grown and fine specimens of that bird, 

 Mr. Beale told me, were the young of a pair 

 originally brought from Australia. They were 

 born and reared in the aviary, and the parents 

 died a short time since. There were also several 

 of the stabbed-breast pigeons, (Columba cruenta,) 

 from Manilla, whose breasts exhibited the exact 

 appearance of having received a wound ; the 

 feathers, for a short distance, seeming to be 

 smeared with the blood which flowed from it. 

 What could have caused this very extraordinary 

 and exact resemblance ? 



Widow Birds are peculiar objects of attraction ; 

 they are of a diminutive size, and their flight and 

 hopping motion, when jumping or flitting from 

 branch to branch, reminded one of the unset- 

 tled disposition of widows in most countries. 



