THE CROWNED PIGEON. 



451 



certain lights. The beautiful long-pointed feathers of the neck are greatly like the hackles of 

 the game-cock, except that they hang lower on the neck. Their color is rich, refulgent green, 

 deepening into a warm copper when the light falls obliquely upon them, and the wing-coverts 

 are of the same hue, and pointed after a similar fashion. The back and whole of the upper 

 surface is glowing green, with bronze and steel-blue reflections, and the under surface par- 

 takes of the same coloring, but without its peculiar resplendence. The short, square tail is 

 pure white. It is rather remarkable that in the breeding season a rounded, fleshy knob makes 

 its appearance upon the upper mandible, similar to that which has already been noticed in 

 the Fruit Pigeon. The total length of this bird is about fourteen inches. 



The splendid Crowned Pigeon is indisputably the most conspicuous of all its tribe ; its 

 great size and splendid crest rendering it a most striking object, even at a considerable distance. 



CROWNED PIGEON.— CWuwiAa coionata. 



So large and so un-pigeon-like is this bird, that few on first seeing it would be likely to 

 determine its real relations to the rest of the feathered race, and would be more likely to class 

 it among the poultry than the pigeons. If, however, the reader will lay a card upon the crest 

 80 as to expose only the head, he will see that the general outline of the head and beak is 

 clearly that of a Pigeon. It is a native of Java, New Guinea, and the Moluccas. 



The manners of this splendid bird are very curious and interesting. Their walk is quite 

 of a royal character, stately and majestic, and well according with the beautiful feathered 

 crown which they bear upon their heads. The crest seems to be always held expanded. They 

 have a quaint habit of sunning themselves upon the hot pavement of their prison by lying 

 on one side, laying the head flat on the ground, tucking the lower wing under them, and 



