22 THE BIEDS OF AUSTRALIA 



The Black-banded Fruit Pigfeon. 



Ptilopus (Leucotreron) alligator. 



Northern Territory of Australia. 



Head and upper neck white, lower neck and chest whitish-cinnamon; 

 rump and tail coverts grey, broad whitish tips to tail feathers, lower breast 

 and underparts grey, separated from the chest by a broad black band on the 

 lower breast; wings and tail slate-black. Female, a little duller in colour. 



The Red-crowned Fruit Pigeon. 



Ptilopus swainsoni. 



North-east Australia to New South Wales, Torres Strait Islands, 

 South-east New Guinea. 



Male: Green; forehead and crown rose-lilac, margined at the back 

 with a narrow ring of yellow; chin and upper throat pale yellow; breast 

 green, each feather forked at the end, which is silvery grey; a lilac 

 transverse band between the breast and abdomen; underparts green, 

 under tail coverts yellow, tinged with orange; tail green above, under- 

 neath grey, with a yellow band at tip; irides reddish orange. Total 

 length 8.5 inches, wing 5.25, tail 3, bill 0.48, tarsus 0.84. 



Female: Smaller, brighter green and with the yellow under tail 

 coverts less stained with orange. 



Nest a very frail platform of twigs, which can be easily- 

 seen through. One pure white egg is laid, which measures 1.15 

 X .80 inch. 



The Rose-crowned Fruit Pigeon. 



Ptilopus ewingi. 

 Northern Australia. 



Male: Green; forehead and crown rose-purple, margined behind with 

 yellow; scapulars and tertials deep blue towards the tips and broadly 

 edged with golden green; throat yellow, chest feathers tipped with grey, 

 breast feathers tipped with yellow, abdomen orange, with a pale lUae 

 band across the upper part; tail grey underneath, with broad terminal 

 • yellowish-white band; irides orange. Total length 8 inches wing 4 6 

 tail 2.8, bill 0.55, tarsus 0.6. ' ^ • ' 



Female: Duller in plumage. 



Nest a very light platform of sticks, about 2% 

 inches across and easily seen through ; in fact it is a puzzle to 

 see how the bird can fly off and on the frail nest without 

 displacing the egg. One we saw was composed of only seven 

 twigs. One egg is laid, pure white and slightly pointed at one 

 end, some more so than others. They measure 1.10 x .86 inch. 



