THE CROWNED PIGEON 
451 
certain lights. The beautiful long-pointed feathers of the neck are greatly like the hackles of 
the game-cock, except that they hang lower on the neck. Their color is rich, refulgent green, 
deepening into a warm copper when the light falls obliquely upon them, and the wing-coverts 
are of the same hue, and pointed after a similar fashion. The back and whole of the upper 
surface is glowing green, with bronze and steel-blue reflections, and the under surface par- 
takes of the same coloring, but without its peculiar resplendence. The short, square tail is 
pure white. It is rather remarkable that in the breeding season a rounded, fleshy knob makes 
its appearance upon the upper mandible, similar to that which has already been noticed in 
the Fruit Pigeon. The total length of this bird is about fourteen inches. 
The splendid Crowned Pigeon is indisputably the most conspicuous of all its tribe ; its 
great size and splendid crest rendering it a most striking object, even at a considerable distance. 
CROWNED PIGEON. — Columba coronata. 
So large and so un-pigeon-like is this bird, that few on first seeing it would be likely to 
determine its real relations to the rest of the feathered race, and would be more likely to class 
it among the poultry than the Pigeons. If, however, the reader will lay a card upon the crest 
so as to expose only the head, he will see that the general outline of the head and beak is 
clearly that of a Pigeon. It is a native of Java, New Guinea, and the Moluccas. 
The manners of this splendid bird are very curious and interesting. Their walk is quite 
of a royal character, stately and majestic, and well according with the beautiful feathered 
crown which they bear upon their heads. The crest seems to be always held expanded. They 
have a quaint habit of sunning themselves upon the hot pavement of their prison by lying 
on one side, laying the head flat on the ground, tucking the lower wing under them, and 
