Place.
PURPLE- CROWNED P
Description.
Place and
V arieties.
tail black, three inches long ; the two middle feathers black;
the reft cinereous, with black tips : the legs red : claws black.
Inhabits Amboina, in the Eaft Indies.
Lev. Mu/,
O I Z E of a Turtle: length nine inches. Bill three quarters of
an inch in length, and yellowifh : irides of a pale yellow:
forehead, to the middle of the crown, purple r the head, neck
and under parts of the body, are of a pale green, inclining to
alh-colour: vent, and under tail coverts, yellows, all the upper
parts of the body of a beautiful deep green, and very gloffy:
quills black; the two outer ones wholly fo, the others edged
with green; the fecondaries fringed with yellow on the outer
margins: the tail is three inches and a half long; the feathers
pretty even, all of them fomewhat pointed at the end; the colour
a greenilh black, the outer edges green; when the tail is
fpread open, a greyilh bar appears near the end, but on infpeftion
it proves interrupted, the colour only occupying the inner webs
of each feath erthe kgs are very rough, of a dulky black:
the claws black.
This was defcribed from a fpecimen from Otabeite-, but I find
of thefe birds great varieties, according to the different iflands:
from which they are brought, for they inhabit the whole of the
Pacific Ocean within the tropics. In Otabeite the crown is of a
very faint purple; at Uliatea, and fome other iflands, deeper ;
but the fpecimens found at Tongo Taboo, have the top of the
head of an exceeding deep and vivid purple, and this furrounded
by
fey yellow: the bill in this is dulky: irides yellow: the vent
almoft orange: and the legs of a deep red.
Among the others, I obferve fome which have not the leaft
veftige of red on the crown; but whether thefe are of a different
fex, young birds, or owing to difference of place, I am not able
to determine.
This fpecies is called by the natives of Tonga Taboo, Kurukuru;
by thofe of Otabeite, Oopa, or Oopara. It lives on the Banana,
and is eafily tamed.
The beautiful green Turtle Dove, mentioned by Bougainville*,
is perhaps the fame with this. He alfo mentions Pigeons of a
green gold plumage +, neck and belly of a greyilh white, and
having a little creft on their heads; whether of the above, or
any other fpecies, cannot be determined by fo Ihort a defcription;
perhaps the next defcribed.
Pooni Jamboo, Marfd. Sumatr. p. 84,
H I S is fmaller than the ufual fize of Doves. Bill yellow:
fore part of the head of a deep pink J : back, wings, and
tail, green: breaft and crop white; but the front of the latter
has a light lhade of pink; the white of the breaft is continued
in a narrow ftreak, having green on one fide and pink on the
other, half round the eye, which is large and yellow.
* r °y- P- 247- t p- 329-
t This is likened to the colour of the ilefftm o f the Jamlco, the fruit of which
is like a Pear in ihape : there are two kinds of it |j, both of which are f&id to be
delicious eating.
11 Eugenia malacctnjh, & Jamies. Lin,
4 L 2
16.
JAMBOO P.
D escription,
Inhabits