Its Wide Distribution Over The Whole Length Of The
Archipelago; From Extreme West To East, Is However Very
Extraordinary, Since, With The Exception Of A Few Of The Birds Of
Prey, Not A Single Land Bird Has So Wide A Range.
Ground-feeding
birds are generally deficient in power of extended flight, and
this species is so bulky and heavy that it appears at first sight
quite unable to fly a mile.
A closer examination shows, however,
that its wings are remarkably large, perhaps in proportion to its
size larger than those of any other pigeon, and its pectoral
muscles are immense. A fact communicated to me by the son of my
friend Mr. Duivenboden of Ternate, would show that, in accordance
with these peculiarities of structure, it possesses the power of
flying long distances. Mr. D. established an oil factory on a
small coral island, a hundred miles north of New Guinea, with no
intervening land. After the island had been settled a year, and
traversed in every direction, his son paid it a visit; and just
as the schooner was coming to an anchor, a bird was seen flying
from seaward which fell into the water exhausted before it could
reach the shore. A boat was sent to pick it up, and it was found
to be a Nicobar pigeon, which must have come from New Guinea, and
flown a hundred miles, since no such bird previously inhabited
the island.
This is certainly a very curious case of adaptation to an unusual
and exceptional necessity.
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