THE ABOMATIC VINAGO PIGEON. 



of telpng savages lying in ambusih, presently to fall on and 

 devour them, 



Althougli of smaller size, the Mcobar pigeon is equally 

 curious, and worthy of description as the stately Goura, king 

 of pigeons, by virtue of his crown as well as his bulk. The 

 Nioobar is a native of the island of that name, as well as of 

 the isles of Java and Sumatra. It is about fifteen inches ia 

 length, its beak about an inch and a quarter in lengthy and 

 slightly bent downward at the tip. Its head is slaty blue, 

 with a purplish cast,, and adorning its neck ami breast are a 

 profnsiin of long pointed feathers, glowing with resplendent 

 green, bronze, and slaty blue. These long feathers are much 

 like the hackles of the game-cock; and as the light falls on 

 them, their colours come and go, and glow with orange and 

 copper coloui' and gorgeous purple in a way impossible to 

 describe. The baek of the bird; indeed the whole of its upper 

 surface, is glowing green, with bronze ajid steel-bltie reflections ; 

 the tail is short and square, and pure white. Authors dififer 

 about the habits of this bird. Some assert that its nest is 

 placed on the ground, and that the female lays several eggs, 

 the young running as soon as hatched ; but Mr. Bennet, who 

 saw some in an aviary at Macao, says that they were usually 

 seen perched on trees, even upon lie loftiest branches; and 

 adds, that they build their rude nests and rear their young 

 upon trees, similar to all the pigeon tribe. 



We will next describe a beautiful member of this family, 

 known by the somewhat singular title of Aromatic Yinago. 

 It is an inhabitant of India, Java, and other adjacent islands. 

 It is a bird of mild and timid disposition, and is generally seen 

 in large companies, except during the period of reproduction, 

 when th^ pair, and retire to the depths of the forest. The 

 back of the aromatic vinago and a part of the lesser wing- 

 coverts are of a rich brownish-red, " shot," as the modem term 

 is, with purple ; the forehead is of a bright siskin green, the 

 crown greenish grey, the throat rich yellow, and tie under 

 parts faint green. The greater wing-coverts and secondEiry 

 quiUs are greenish black, with a vivid yellow edging through- 

 out their entire length ; the tail is a blending of blue-grey and 

 brown, and white and green. In Selby's description of this bird 

 we read : — " This beautiful bird has brilliant red eyes, the feet 

 are something like the parrot's, and it climbs in the same way 

 as that bird. It is very difficult to find ; for, althougi. a flock 

 is marked into a tree, yet its colour is so sunilar to the leaf of 



