PIGEON. 



strong claws. The bird is decidedly a tree bird, 

 living upon fruits, but it is understood that they are 

 fruits of a softer character than those upon which the 

 species formerly mentioned subsist. There are a 

 good many other species, resembling this one in their 

 structure and habits, to be met with in the Molucca 

 and South Sea Islands but as they differ but little from 

 this one except in colour, we need not allude to them. 



Magnificent Pigeon (V. magnified). This one differs 

 in several respects from those tree pigeons of the east, 

 of which we have mentioned one or two specimens. 

 It is much larger, measuring seventeen inches in 

 length ; and it has the bill differently formed, though 

 still of the same consistency with those of the others. 

 The membranous enlargement at the base of the bill 

 is exceedingly small ; arid the bill itself is slender in 

 the flexible part, though compressed and hard toward 

 the tip. The forehead is also lower in proportion, 

 indicating that the muscles which close the bill are 

 not so powerful, and that the work which it has to 

 perform is of a more easy description. In conse- 

 quence of what has been now slated, this pigeon, and 

 a few others which resemble it in most of the parti- 

 culars, though one of them has the enlargement on 

 the base of the bill swelled out to a considerable 

 knob, have been called fruit-eating pigeons by way of 

 eminence. They are found in all the eastern islands 

 and in New Holland, and it is probable that they 

 migrate seasonally between New Guinea and the 

 few rich spots which occur on the east coast of New 

 Holland. 



The upper parts of the magnificent pigeon are rich 

 golden green, which shows various shades of brown 

 and purple, and even of yellow and red as the light 

 falls differently upon it. The wing-coverts are 

 spotted with yellow, the quills and tail-feathers are of 

 a most intense green, varying in its tints in the same 

 manner as the green on the back. Altogether the 

 upper part of this bird is pre-eminently splendid ; the 

 other parts are not much inferior. The head and 

 upper parts of the neck are bluish grey, passing gra- 

 dually into the green on the lower part of the neck 

 backwards. From the base of the lower mandible or 

 near it there begins with a point, but gradually 

 increasing in breadth, a very beautiful port-coloured 

 streak, which spreads over the breast and all the 

 under part. The basal parts and the feathers in this 

 are deep bluish green, and the margin of each feather 

 is very rich bluish purple. The feathers are broad 

 and rounded at their extremities, and the purple 

 arches which the borders on these form, show off the 

 green in an exceedingly pleasing manner. A small 

 portion at each side on the fore part of the neck has 

 the basal parts of the feathers pale greyish green, and 

 the margins broader and more red. The lower part 

 of the belly, the thighs, and all the under coverts of 

 the wings, are exceedingly rich yellow, with a slight 

 tinge of orange. A skin which the writer of this 

 article got direct from Moreton Bay, in Australia, 

 had a taint dash of yellowish red on the bastard 

 wing; but that is not mentioned in the general de- 

 scription, so that it is probable that this splendid 

 species is, like many others of the family, subject to 

 variations of colour. The basal part of the bill is 

 orange brown, but the hard part toward the tip is 

 yellowish white. The feet are bluish black, with 

 short tarsi thinly clothed with yellow feathers down 

 the front half of their circumference. The toes are 

 stout, and the claws strong and much hooked, but the 



external front toe is not so long in proportion as i 

 those formerly described. The foot, though thus 

 good perching foot, wants the climbing charactei 

 which the others have. Altogether this is one < 

 the most gorgeous of the feathered race, whether w 

 regard the intense colour and rich glosses of the upp< 

 parr, or the beautiful diversification of the under. '. 

 should seem that these birds are subject to variatioi 

 in size as well as in colour, or that there is a specii 

 considerably smaller bearing a very great resemblanc 

 to this one. 



There are a few other species, approaching th 

 one in size, and resembling it in the upper plumag 

 but greyish green (lashed with vinous red on tli 

 upper part, and having the bill and feet different! 

 coloured, which have been met with in the isles 

 good way to the eastward ; but as no difference i 

 manners has been observed, and the essential par 

 of their structures are very much alike, they do in 

 require to be enumerated. Some of these have tl 

 membrane at the base of the bill swelled into a knol 

 but as this is the case in some varieties of the commc 

 pigeon and not in others, it cannot be regarded : 

 forming a specific character, or in fact as being an; 

 thing more than accidental. One species remain 

 resembling these in some respects, but differir 

 from them in others, which deserves a short notic 

 This is 



The Pheasant Pigeon ( V. Phaxianella). In tl 

 structure of its feet and the form of its bill it does n 

 differ greatly from the species last described, but tl 

 tail and the colours of the plumage are very differei 

 Its length is altogether about fifteen inches, of whi< 

 the tail occupies at least a halfi so that it is mu< 

 shorter in the body than the magnificent pigeon ; 

 is also more slender in proportion, and thereto 

 altogether a much smaller bird. The upper part 

 it is reddish brown, and the sides and top of the he; 

 pretty bright red ; on the upper part of the nc< 

 especially there are rich reflections of violet purpl 

 varying in different lights. The coverts of the win] 

 are brown bordered with red, and the quills are near 

 the same colour only a little darker. The two midd 

 feathers of the tail are entirely brown, and the later 

 ones, which are of the same colour for the greater pa 

 of their length, are crossed by a bar of browni: 

 black. The throat is yellowish white, and tho r 

 mainder of the under part yellowish brown, passh 

 first into orange brown and then into reddish brow 

 The tail is very strong at its base, and well fortifii 

 by coverts, but it is much wedge-shaped, or rath 

 has the appearance of the half of a very lengthen* 

 oval. The bill is reddish brown, darker in the ha 

 part, and the toes and naked parts of the tarsi a 

 deep orange red. In the shortness of the tarsi, ai 

 the general structure ofthebird,it very much resembl 

 the magnificent pigeon. The shape of the head 

 different, however, being more flattened on the to 

 and meeting the bill less abruptly, which gives the b 

 the appearance of greater length. 



It is found in the very same countries as the ma 

 nificent pigeon and those which resemble it in stru 

 ture. The form of the tail is also the same, only it 

 much larger in this one. What difference of hal 

 may be connected with this is not known, but tl 

 general agreement of the birds is such that in all pr 

 liability it is not very great. 



PIGEONS PROPERLY so CALLED (Columba). Tl 

 is by far the most numerous genus, and the membe 



