tie presence of a body of mea with their clamour and oocMag- 

 ftres and undisguised , hostile iatentions, flocks of timid birds, 

 including the bronze-wing, came boldly to the water, aU. their 

 natural apprehensions blunted by tortuting thirst. 



The Magnificent Pigeon is deserving of his name. What do 

 my readers think of a pigeon of the following description : — 

 " In size it equals or rather surpasses the common ring-pigeon ; 

 the tail being longer in proportion. The bill, which is rather slen- 

 der, has the soft or membranous part of a brownish orange ; the 

 homy top, which is yellowish white, is slightly arched, but hard 

 and compressed. The head,. the cheeks, and the upper part of 

 the neok are of a fine pale bluish grey, which passes into pale 

 green towards the lower part of the meek and back. The upper 

 parts of the body are of a rich golden green, assuming -various 

 shades of iatensity as viewed in different hghts; the wing- 

 coverts are spotted with rich king's yellow, forming an obhque 

 bar across lie wings. The qmlls and tail are of the richest 

 shining green, changing in effect with every motion of the bird. 

 IVom the chin downwards proceeds a streak of the finest aricula 

 purple (the base of the feathers being of a deep sapphire green) ; 

 this hue gradually expands as it descends, and covers the whole 

 breast and abdomen. The lower belly, thighs, and under wing- 

 coverts axe of the richest king's yeUow. The feet are bluish 

 black, the tarse short, and clothed with yellow feathers half way 

 down their front and sides." The Magnificent pigeon is found 

 only in Australia, where it lives in trees, and subsists on fruit 

 and seeds. 



We now come to a " foreigner " more resembling in shape, 

 size, and colour that with which we are acquainted than any 

 other— the Passenger-pigeon of North America. Through- 

 out those regions it is enormously abundant, and is remark- 

 able for its migration in immense flocks from one part of the 

 United States to another. Their arrival at their roosting- 

 plaoes is eagerly watched for by the inhabitants, who anxiously 

 look out for theh coming; and no wonder, as the following 

 aocoimt of the gathering of a "pigeon-crop," by Wilson, wiU 

 show : — 



" As soon as the young were folly grown, and before they ' 

 left the nest, numerous parties of the inhabitants from all parts 

 of the adjacent country came with waggons, axes, beds, and 

 qooking utensis ; many of them accompanied by the greater 

 part of their families, and encamped for several days at this 

 immense nursery. Several of them stated that the noise was 



