|jJ|A RPOPH AG A MÄgH i f JCA.
'^vf^gnifi’cent Fruit Pigeon.
riyst. At. Columba, sp. 26.
Traité d’Orn., p. 469.
Ca&pophaga magnifie^ Selby11p^7MfÿQpi.,^k^/*Pigeoiis, ' p . ^ in Brit. Mus. Coll., Part
,Tgi.s_ splendid birdf the^fines^o^tKe Pigeons y e g d tp S ^ e d in Australia, is abundant in all the brushes
on-the sbuth-eafst p pM ^ ^ f i ^ g ^ ^ ^ m y J but is less^nd&^^Mj^^JU^awarra district' than* in the neighbourhood
of the rivers Namoi, Macquarrie, Clarence and ..Mahbeay|^^v far its range may extend from
thence to*the northward has yet Id id not observe M W gWof the brushes elotMng the
the interior. Its chief food. i s S ,e S ® f ig a n ||tb e nut-like fr^it of the large palms. It is rather
a shy’b ir^ a h d from its quiet habits is not easily discovered, unless it betrays its presence by the hoarse,
^^^^^pmonofconous note, which is frequently u t ^ ^ d f ^ t ^ h maje during the; season of love. This note is
^sq£C^traqrdinary}f and so unlike that of any other bird, that it causesthe utmost surprise and wonderment as
proceed from, in the minds of those persons w h b ,n ^ ^ iP ^ ^ |^ f i r s t time,
the few opportunities I had for studying this fine bird in a state of uathre were insufficient
for me to obtain any particulars respecting its habits and economy; it appears neyef■%> descend to the
g r O t p he constantly ^engaged among the branches' in procuring its food; its _broad^harid--Iike feet
enabbng^^^^ cligg to the outermost and even~the smaller boughs"with ease; and hence the utility of these
singularly constructed feet, which aretcbh^mO® to all the Fruit Pigeons, is readily perceptible.
The sexes present no external difference by which the male can be distinguished from the female;
dissection must, in fact, be, resorted to, to discriminate the one from the o|M^^]pG.ertainty, although the
smaller-sized individuals may generally be regarded as females.
Head and neck pale g re y ; all the upper surface and wingsjxldh golden green; the greater coverts and
the tertiaries with a patch of light yellow near tfee: webs, forming an irregular oblique
band across the .wing; primaries green 5 under surface of the wnnWj^^wn;/passing into cinnamon-brown a t
the base of tl^ featb^S'; tail rich deep bronzy g re en; line down the centre of th e ‘throat, and the whole of
the breast'and- abdomen ^fcb| deep purplp j under surface of the shoulder» the thighs and venj: deep gam-
bqge-yeltp^p under tail-coverts:gre^iisb grey» washed ^h ^g a^ b o g ^ y e llo y f^ ^ ;
The Plate represents an aduli>male somewhat less than the nat|rlj^ izef- r