PHLOGCENAS CRINIGERA. 



Maroon-breasted Pig-eon. 



Pmstera criniger^ Homb.et Jacq. in Dum. d'Urv. Voy. au P61e Sud, Zoologie, torn. in. p. 118, Atlas, pi. 27, fig. 2. 



Pampusanna criniger, Puch. 



Peristera crinigera, Reich. Syst. Av., tab. cclix. fig. 2596. 



PMegaenas crinigera, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., torn. ii. p. 88, Phlegaenas, sp. 3. 



Phlogcenas Bartletti, Sclat. in Proc. Zool. Soc., 1863, p. 377. pi. xxxiv. 



crinigera, Puch., Sclat. in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 239. 



Phlegcenas criniger, Wall. Ibis, 1865. p. 392. 



In a paper by Mr. Sclater on some new and interesting animals recently acquired by the Zoological Society, 

 read at their meeting on the 10th of November, 1863, this species was regarded as new to science, and 

 characterized by him as Phlogcenas Bartletti ; but at a subsequent meeting he stated that he had found that 

 this was not the case, the bird having been described some years previously in the " Zoologie " of Dumont 

 d'Urville's ' Voyage au Pole Sud.' Mr. Sclater added that its native country is Soog, one of the Soolo Islands, 

 a locality also assigned to it by Mr. Wallace. Of the history of the species nothing appears to have been 

 recorded ; Mr. Sclater's notes on its breeding in the Society's Gardens will, therefore, have additional 

 interest. 



" The four living examples," says this gentleman, " which adorned the menagerie of the Zoological Society 

 at the end of 1863, were purchased at Liverpool in the preceding August. 



"In the spring of 1864 the single male paired with one of the three females, and bred five times during 

 the summer of that year. The female deposited only one egg on each occasion, making a very slight nest 

 of small sticks in a flat basket placed eight feet from the ground. The period of incubation was fifteen 

 days. Two of the young birds were successfully reared ; two others died immature, and are now in the 

 British Museum ; on the remaining occasion the egg was addled. The parent bird died soon afterwards ; 

 but as the old male again mated with another female, and the young male shows symptoms of wishing to 

 pair, there is every prospect of continuing to propagate this highly interesting species in our aviaries." 



The Phlogcenas crinigera is very nearly allied to the P. cruenta, but has the pectoral mark much larger, 

 and of a maroon- or chocolate-red instead of blood-red ; the head and neck of a metallic green instead of 

 lead-colour; and the back and shoulders of a rich brown instead of slate-colour. 



The sexes appear to differ but little in outward appearance. 



Head, back, and sides of the neck glossy green, gradually blending with the deep chestnut-red of the back, 

 scapularies, upper tail-coverts, and central tail-feathers ; throat white ; under surface pale cinnamon, at the 

 junction of the two colours a large spot of deep maroon-red ; lesser wing-coverts grey, greater coverts deep 

 chestnut-red, largely tipped with grey, forming three bands across the wing ; primaries dark brown, edged 

 with chestnut ; secondaries reddish chestnut ; lateral tail-feathers dark grey, crossed by a broad band of 

 black near the tip ; irides dark brown ; bill blackish brown, nostrils grey ; legs and feet purplish red. 



The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Gynura bicolor. 



