The Golden Dove

["Susan Myers" <>]

Robert,

 

I wonder if good old Umberto has been to Fiji on a vacation. It's a most evocative description of a most incredible bird, the Orange Dove Ptilinopus victor found only on Vanua Levu and Taveuni in the Fiji island group. I had a similar experience when I saw it except that rather than melting into the luminous sphere it melted into the trees - where, unbelievably, it turned into a giant golden leaf! I happily ticked it.

 

Susan Myers
ph. +61 3 9899 9303
fax +61 3 9890 8911
email
http://www.websurf.net.au/~susan

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Berry <>
To: m("vicnet.net.au","birding-aus");"> <m("vicnet.net.au","birding-aus");">>
Date: Wednesday, 17 May 2000 12:47
Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] The Golden Dove

Hi all,

 

I've been enjoying the Umberto Eco novel "The Island of the Day Before". The hero, whose name strikes a chord with me, is marooned on a ship in sight of an island on which there is a golden dove. He has been using the ship's spyglass...

 

"But that morning, Roberto was convinced he had seen something rise from the trees towards the sun, then melt into its luminous sphere. Probably it was an illusion. Any bird in that light would have seemed to glitter.... Roberto was convinced he had seen the Dove, and yet was disappointed at having lied to himself. In this contradictory mood he felt once again defrauded"

 

I guess that's not a tick ...