Volume 9, Plate VIII / Ornithology (Birds)

Pheasant-Tailed Pigeon

Columba phasianella

An arboreal bird of fourteen to sixteen inches inhabiting the woods of the Sonda Isles, Moluccas, Philippines, Java, and Australia, with a tail exceeding seven inches and short rounded wings, subsisting on pimento and aromatic berries swallowed whole. The throat is yellowish-white, the under plumage orange-brown, the hind neck rich violet-purple with golden reflections, the upper parts deep reddish-brown, and its dark flesh is reported of excellent flavour.