It is the same species which in the island of Banda is called the nutmeg-pigeon, from its habit of devouring the fruits, the seed or nutmeg being thrown up entire and uninjured.

Though these pigeons have a narrow beak, yet their jaws and throat are so extensible that they can swallow fruits of very large size.

I had before shot a species much smaller than this one, which had a number of hard globular palm-fruits in its crop, each more than an inch in diameter.
A little further the path divided into two, one leading along the beach, and across mangrove and sago swamps the other rising to cultivated grounds.

We therefore returned, and taking a fresh departure from the village, endeavoured to ascend the hills and penetrate into the interior.

The path, however, was a most trying one.