115 
MAGNIFICEMT FEUIT-PIGEON. 
Carpophaga magnijiea, 
PLATE VI. 
Columba magnifica, Temm. in Trans. Linn Soc. vol. xiii. 
p. 124— Id, PI. Col. pi. 163. 
The rich assemblage of colours exhibited in this 
bird induced M. Temminck, its first describe!', to 
give it the appropriate name of Magnificent. It is 
a native of the eastern parts of Australia, a coun- 
try whose productions present so mucli of what is 
new and interesting in every department of zoology. 
It is said to feed chiefly upon the fruit of one of the 
Palms, in that country called the Cabbage Tree, from 
the culinary use made of the top or embryo leaves. 
In form and chai'acter it agrees with the Carpophaga 
anea, or Nutmeg Pigeon, and also with the Carpo- 
phaga oceanica, the subject of our next plate. In 
size it equals, or rather surpasses, the Common Ring 
Pigeon, the tail being longer in proportion. The 
bill, which is rather slender, has the soft or mem- 
branous part of a brownish-orange ; the horny tip, 
which is yellowish-white, is slightly arched, but bard 
and compressed ; the nostrils are open, and their co- 
vering but little swollen, and not projecting to the 
same extent as in the Common Pigeon ; the fore- 
