This Bird Differs Very Much From The Two Large Species Which I
Had Already Obtained, And, Although It Wants The Grace Imparted
By Their Long Golden Trains, Is In Many Respects More Remarkable
And More Beautiful.
The head, back, and shoulders are clothed
with a richer yellow, the deep metallic green colour of the
throat extends further over the head, and the feathers are
elongated on the forehead into two little erectile crests.
The
side plumes are shorter, but are of a rich red colour,
terminating in delicate white points, and the middle tail-
feathers are represented by two long rigid glossy ribands, which
are black, thin, and semi-cylindrical, and droop gracefully in a
spiral curve. Several other interesting birds were obtained, and
about half-a-dozen quite new ones; but none of any remarkable
beauty, except the lovely little dove, Ptilonopus pulchellus,
which with several other pigeons I shot on the same fig-tree
close to my house. It is of a beautiful green colour above, with
a forehead of the richest crimson, while beneath it is ashy white
and rich yellow, banded with violet red.
On the evening of our arrival at Muka I observed what appeared
like a display of Aurora Borealis, though I could hardly believe
that this was possible at a point a little south of the equator.
The night was clear and calm, and the northern sky presented a
diffused light, with a constant succession of faint vertical
flashings or flickerings, exactly similar to an ordinary aurora
in England.
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