30 AVES. 



you make any loud noise or show yourself suddenly, all dis- 

 appear in a moment : perhaps one or two may fly oli' Avith a 

 swift but laborious action of the wings ; but the majority hide 

 behind branches ; in a minute or so, if all is quiet, you will 

 see a head peer out from behind some snag", and after looking 

 round and seeing nothing, a croak of satisfaction brings out 

 two or three more heads, but not a body is seen till all the 

 heads are perfectly satisfied of their safety ; at last they all 

 come out and chatter together most vociferously for a minute 

 or two before they go on feeding : though apparently so wary, 

 they rarely leave the tree they are examining, even if fired 

 at. 



Order Columbae. 

 Fam. Coliimbida?. 

 Sulj-fam. Treroninfe. 

 Gen. Treron. 



Treron vernans. 



Columba vernans (^Vagle^). 



Head and upper throat lead-colour tinged with green ; the lead- 

 colour extends down the nape to the back, where it passes into the 

 green of that part ; on the nape is a decided tinge of vinaceous red, 

 which is the colour of the neck and upper breast ; between this 

 again and the general colour of the lower body is a patch of dark 

 ochre yellow ; round the eyes the skin is bare, bordered on the 

 lower side by a black stripe ; back, green, tinged with lead-colour ; 

 upper tail-covers, greenish ochre ; body below, light yellowish green, 

 vent yellow; thighs the same, but the long feathers covering them 

 are varied with green and dark lead-colour ; flanks and wings below 

 light lead-colour ; wings above green, the covers exteriorly edged 

 with yellow, so as to form a line of that colour extending the length 

 of the wing ; quills black, with a very narrow line of yellow on 

 the outer edges ; tail, above, light lead-colour, tipped with black ; 

 lower covers rufous, as long as the tail. 

 Length, about 9^ inches. 



„ of bill from gape, 10 lines. 



„ of bill from front, 8 lines. 



„ of wings, 5 inches 4 lines. 



„ of tail, 3 inches 2 lines. 



„ of tarsus, 9 lines. 



„ of middle toe, 1 inch 2 lines. 



„ of hallux, barely 8 lines. 



Common in Labuan, and very abundant in the interior of 

 Borneo, where it frequents the fruit- orchards in the evenings, 



