232 CROWNED PIGEONS. 



a very graceful and elegant appearance, gazing 

 upon the wide view before it, with its beautiful 

 bright-red eyes, and delicate crest ; uttering at 

 the same time, whilst gently bending its head, 

 the usual humming, mournful sounds, which re- 

 sembled those of a person suffering bodily torture. 



The birds have a very healthy appearance, 

 and feed well upon paddy ; and on some maize 

 being given to them some time afterwards, they 

 refused it, preferring the former grain. After this 

 accident occurring to their cage, to prevent a 

 recurrence, they were removed into an empty 

 and spacious turkey-coop, which, from its con- 

 struction, shelter them very well from the wea- 

 ther. 



On the 15th of January, I had the misfortune 

 to lose one of the birds : they had all the sem- 

 blance of being in excellent health on the evening 

 previously ; but when the decks were washing, 

 one was seen to run about the cage two or three 

 times, and then fell dead. This bird, I had ob- 

 served when it first came on board, had a film 

 over one of the eyes, (which diseased eye has 

 been preserved in spirits,) but it did not appear 

 at all to affect its general health.* 



From the very sudden death of the bird, I felt 



* At noon of the day the bird died, we were in lat. 

 22" 58' south, long. S?'^ 0' east. 



