170 cassell's book of birds. 



the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's Park there are several specimens, whose manners are very 

 curious and interesting. 



•• Their walk," says the Rev. J. G. Wood, " is quite of a royal character— stately, majestic, and 

 well according with the crown they wear upon their heads. The crest seems always to be held 

 expanded. They have the 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, and spreading 

 the other over their bodies, so as to form a very shallow tent, each quill-feather being separated 

 from its neighbour and radiating around the body. Sometimes the bird varies this attitude by 

 stretching the other wing to its full length, and holding it from the body at an angle of twenty degrees 

 or so, as if to take advantage of every sunbeam and waft of air. While lying in this unique attitude 

 it might easily pass at a distance for a moss-covered stone, a heap of withered leaves, or a rugged 

 tree-stump, with one broken branch projecting from its side ; no one would think of taking it for 

 a bird." 



THE VICTORIA CROWNED PIGEON. 



The Victoria Crowned Pigeon {Goiira Victoria), the second member of this group 

 with which we are acquainted, is also principally of a slaty blue colour, but has a reddish brown 

 under side ; the wing-stripes are blueish grey, and a broad hne at the end of the tail whitish 

 grey. In this bird the feathers that form the crest terminate in small fan-like appendages. The 

 eye is reddish, and the foot flesh-pink. This Pigeon is somewhat larger than the species last 

 described. It inhabits the most southern parts of North Guinea, and is nowhere very numerous. 



THE DIDUNCULUS, OR TOOTHED PIGEON. 



The DiDUNCULUS, or Toothed Pigeon {Didunculus strigirostris), is an extraordinary bird, 

 representing a family of Pigeons possessing a powerful body, moderately long neck, and large 

 head. The beak, which is much higher than it is broad, has the upper mandible arched and 

 hooked at its extremity, its margins being smooth; the tip of the curved under mandible, on 

 the contrary, is furnished with three tooth-like indentations. The tarsus is strong, partially bare, 

 and longer than the centre toe ; all the toes are unconnected, and armed with broad hooked 

 claws. The rounded wings extend, when closed, almost to the end of the moderate-sized and 

 slightly-rounded tail. The head, throat, breast, and belly of this species are of a glossy greenish 

 black ; the hinder portions of the under side, the wngs, tail, and feathers on the lower wing-covers 

 rich, deep chestnut-brown ; the quills are greyish black, and all the feathers on the upper part of 

 the mantle decorated with a brilUant green spot at their tips ; the lower back, wings, tail, and 

 feathers of the lower tail-covers are of a beautiful dark chestnut-brown, and the quills greyish black. 

 The eye is blackish bro-vvn ; the bare patch that surrounds it and the cheek-stripes bright orange- 

 red ; the beak is also orange-red, with light yellow tip ; the feet red, and the claws yellowish 

 white. The length is twelve inches and a half, and breadth twenty-four inches ; the wing measures 

 seven inches, and tail three inches. 



The first description of the Didunculus was published by Sir William Jardine, in the " Annals 

 and Magazine of Natural History." "We are," he says, "indebted to Lady Harvey, who purchased 

 it at Edinburgh, for a specimen of this bird ; " and adds, " We are aware of no existing description, 

 though there is one allusion made to a bird which may turn out to be this. In Mr. Strickland's 

 ' Report on the Present State of Ornithology,' it is stated that in the recent American voyage of 

 discovery Mr. Titian Peale had discovered a new bird allied to the Dodo, which he proposed to 

 name Didunculus." 



