P I G E O N .
where at the latter end of the year, and returning early in fprmg *.
They inhabit the woods altogether, and build on the tops o f
trees, making a large, loofe, and flat neft with dry flicks. Are
faid to have two broods in a year; the firfl in April, the fecond
about Midfummer. Buffon is clear of the firll, as he has more
than once had a neft brought him the beginning of April, con*
taining two and fometimes three young'ones; and the quantity
encreafing in all parts about the month of Augtifi, may give us
reafon to think that they breed more than once in England.
Indeed it is generally fuppofed that they have but one brood in
a year, except the young be taken from the firfl neft; but I
could never find any one who could afcerjam this point. The
eggs are like thofe of other Pigeons, but larger, and they fit
fourteen days on them before the young ahre hatched.
This fpecies is called in fome parts of England by the names of
Queeft and Cujhat.
, 0< Columba ænci, Lin. Syjl. 1. p. 283. N° 22.
NUTMEG P. Le Pigeon ramier des Moluques, Brif. orn. i. p. 148. N° 41. pi. 13. f. 2.—
Buf.oiJ. ii. p. 538.— PI. enl. 164,
D escriptiox. C I Z E of the Ring Pigeon: length feVenteen inches. The'
bill almoft greenifh : the head, neck, and under parts of the
body, dirty white, with a tinge of vinaceous : the back, rump,
upper tail coverts, and tail, green, glofied with gold and copper :
the fides, and under the wings, dirty white: under tail coverts
purplifh chefnut: quills afh-coloured, with the tips of the prime,
* I have had this bird more than once, fent to me beyond the middle of Dreamier,
and
P I G E O N .
and the outer edges and tips of the fecondaries, of the fame
colour with the back : the tail is even at the end: the legs
covered half way down with feathers; the colour of them, and
the claws, greenifh. j|
This inhabits the Molucca iflands, where it feeds on Nutmegs. Pc a c i .
Le Pigeon cuivre Maageur de Mufcade, Son. Voy. p. i68. pi. lo i:
Lev. Muf.
30.
V a r . A .
T H I S feems to be very like the laft-deferibed, and perhaps is- D e s c r i p t i o n .
a flight variety of fex, &c.; it is of the fame fize. The
head blue grey : the bill grey : irides and legs pale carmine:
upper parts of the body green,, glofied with gold and copper :
the neck, bread, and belly, reddifh grey: under tail coverts yel- -
lowifh white : quills and tail black.
One fimilar to this is in the colledlion of Sir JoJepb Banks,
which came from New Zealand.
Among the drawings of the fame gentleman, I obferve one
nearly fimilar, but only thirteen inches in length. Bill an inch
long; the noftrils rifing into a knob : head and neck afh-colour :
irides orange: round the bill, and chin, grey : the upper parts of
the body green, inclining to red on the rump : beneath reddifh
brown : wings blue : quills edged with deep blue: tail dufky t
legs red.
This was met with at Amfterdam IJle, and is there called Prase;
Orooba ya.
Le
i b