122 
PHEASANT-TAILED PIGEON. 
from the forehead, is nearly three quarters of an inch 
long ; the tip of the upper mandible is moderately 
arched, and having a distinct notcli or emargination ; 
that of the under angulated and strong. The throat is 
yellowish-white. The liead, the sides, and front of the 
neck, as well as the whole of the under plumage is 
orange-brown. The hinder part of the neck is of a 
rich violet-pui’ple, with brilliant golden reflections, 
changing according to the play of light. The back, 
the wing-coverts, and remainder of the upper plu- 
mage, are of a deep reddish-brown , in some lights 
exhibiting a bronzed gloss. The tail, which is gra- 
duated or of a cuneiform shape, has the two middle 
feathers of an uniform brown, the lateral ai'e marked 
with an oblique transverse bar or black. The feet 
and naked part of the legs are reddish-brown. The 
sole of the hind and inner toes is greatly expand- 
ed, which gives a large and firm base of support 
to the bird when moving amidst the branches of the 
trees. 
The young difier from the adults, in having the 
neck of a dirty reddish-brown, fasciated with narrow 
bars of black, the abdomen of a pale reddish-grey, 
notched with very minute dark specks, the back in- 
clines more to liair-brown, and the smaller wing-co- 
verts are deeply edged with orange-brown. 
It was first described by M. Temminck in the 
Transactions of the Linnean Society, from a speci- 
men brought from Australia, but has since been found 
in most of the Philippine and Molucca islands, Java, 
