COLUMBA PURPURATA, Latham. 

 Purple-crowned Pigeon. 



PLATE LXX. 



C. viridis, pileo purpurascente, flavo cincto, collo pectoreque griseis, hoc plumis den- 

 tatis, alae remige primo filatim terminato. 



Columba purpurata, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 598. 

 Purple-crowned Pigeon, Lath. Gen. Hist. vol. viii. p. 63. 

 Colomba kurukuru, Temm. Hist. Pig. et Gall. torn. i. p. 280. 

 Ptilinopus purpuratus, var. regina, Srvainson, Zool. Journ. vol. i. p. 474. 



According to the several ornithologists who have described this beautiful 

 pigeon, it appears to be subject to very considerable and decided variety of 

 plumage. That now figured seems to be the most common state ; and from 

 this it differs in having the rose-coloured crown very pale or very deep 

 purple, sometimes with, and sometimes without, the surrounding yellow 

 margin ; in having the whole head, neck, and upper part of the breast 

 nearly pure white, with the yellow circular crown only, as in the indivi- 

 dual figured on Plate 254. of M. Temminck's PI. Coloriees, in having the 

 upper parts, wings, tail, and under parts of the body, of nearly an uniform 

 dull green, and with the legs and feet reddish ; and in having or wanting 

 the purple patch in the centre of the belly. The white and light coloured 

 varieties have been brought from the Isle of Celebs ; that with dull green 

 plumage appears to be found in Tongataboo, Ulieta, and some neighbour- 

 ing islands ; and our present state seems most common on the continent 

 of New Holland itself. M. Temminck has also received specimens from 

 the Isle of Timor and from Batavia. We strongly suspect, however, that 

 more than one species is involved among these different varieties, which 

 some one in possession of them may hereafter be enabled to determine, 

 and their varied geographical distribution tends considerably to strengthen 

 this opinion. 



This species has been chosen by Mr Swainson as the type of a genus, 

 to include several of the smaller pigeons with feathered tarsi, and with 



N 2 



