Chapter V: Part 5

Forehead and crown deep crimson-red, surrounded except in front with a narrow ring of light yellow; back of the neck greyish green; all the upper surface bright green tinged with yellow, the green becoming deep blue towards the extremities of the tertiaries, which are broadly margined with yellow; primaries slaty grey on their inner webs and green on the outer, very slightly margined with yellow; tail-feathers deep green, largely tipped with rich yellow; throat greenish grey, stained with yellow on the chin in some specimens and greyish white in others; breast dull green, each feather forked at the end and with a triangular silvery-grey spot at each extremity; flanks and abdomen green, with a large patch of orange-red in the centre of the latter; under tail-coverts orange-yellow; thighs green; irides reddish orange; bill greenish black and horn-colour at tip; feet olive brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

PTILINOPUS EWINGII: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

PTILINOPUS EWINGII, _Gould_.
Ewing’s Fruit Pigeon.

_Ptilinopus Ewingii_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., February 8, 1842.

This lovely species, which is a native of the Cobourg Peninsula, and doubtless ranges over the northern coast of Australia generally, differs from the preceding, _Ptilinopus Swainsonii_, in being much smaller in all its admeasurements, in the colour of the crown being rose-pink instead of crimson-red; in the breast being pale greenish grey instead of dull green; in having the centre of the abdomen rich orange instead of lilac; and also in having the tail-feathers tipped with greenish yellow instead of clear rich yellow. The specimens from which my figures are taken were fully adult, and were submitted to dissection in order to ascertain the sexes; consequently I am fully convinced, that, although the present and preceding species are very nearly allied, they are specifically distinct.

In naming the second Australian species of this beautiful form after the Rev. Thomas J. Ewing, at present residing in Van Diemen’s Land, I am actuated by a desire to pay a just compliment to one who is perhaps more thoroughly versed in the productions of writers on the interesting science of ornithology than most other persons, and, although so far removed from the seats of knowledge, continues to prosecute his studies with the utmost ardour; I feel assured therefore, that, however objectionable the naming of species after individuals may be under ordinary circumstances, it will not in this instance be deemed an inappropriate mode of evincing my sense of the many admirable qualities of a highly esteemed friend.

Forehead and crown of the head rose-pink, bordered with a narrow line of yellow, except in front; back of the head and neck greenish grey; all the upper surface bright green, passing into deep blue on the tertiaries; primaries, secondaries and tertiaries slightly margined with yellow; tail largely tipped with yellow, tinged with green, particularly on the two centre feathers; chin pale yellow; sides of the neck greenish grey; chest pale greenish grey, each feather forked at the end and tipped with grey; below the chest an indistinct band of sulphur-yellow; flanks and lower part of the abdomen green; centre of the abdomen rich orange, in the middle of which is a lunar-shaped mark of lilac; under tail-coverts orange; thighs and tarsi green; irides orange; feet olive.

The figures are of the natural size.

PTILINOPUS SUPERBUS.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

PTILINOPUS SUPERBUS.
Superb Fruit-Pigeon.

_Colombe poukiobou_, _Columba superba_, Temm. Les. Pig., fol. 2nd
fam., p. 75. pl. 33.—Ibid. Pig. et Gall., 8vo. tom. i. pp. 277, 474.

This lovely species was originally figured and described in the splendid work on the Pigeons by Madame Knip and my friend M. Temminck as an inhabitant of one of the islands of the Pacific Ocean; and it affords me much pleasure to be enabled to include a representation of it among my illustrations of the Fauna of Australia, specimens having been procured by Mr. Bynoe on Booby Island, which lies off the north coast. In all probability it enjoys an extensive range over the islands of New Guinea as well as over all parts of Northern Australia, wherever suitable situations occur. The specimens procured by Mr. Bynoe were fortunately male and female: the latter sex exhibits in its plumage traces of immaturity; but whether the rich colouring of the crown of the head is at all times absent is a point yet to be ascertained, a knowledge of which would greatly tend to clear up the confusion which reigns throughout this gorgeously-coloured group of Pigeons.

The male has the crown of the head of a very deep rich purple; sides of the head and occiput olive-green; sides and back of the neck bright rufous; shoulders very dark bluish black; all the upper surface and wings deep yellowish green, tinged with rufous; the scapularies and tertiaries with a spot of deep green near the extremity; primaries and secondaries black, slightly margined externally near the tip with pale yellow; tail grey at the base, to which succeeds a broad band of black, glossed particularly on the central feathers with green; beyond this the tips are white, all but the outer ones washed with green; chin white; breast grey, below which a band of black; abdomen and under tail-coverts white, the latter with a stripe of olive down the centre; band crossing the flanks and another crossing the thighs olive-green; feet orange; bill dark horn-colour.

The female has the crown of the head and all the upper surface yellowish green, with a small spot of deep blue near the tips of the scapularies; primaries and secondaries black, slightly edged with yellow; at the occiput a large patch of deep green; chin grey; centre of breast greenish grey; flanks green; centre of abdomen straw-yellow.

The figures are those of the two sexes on a plant of the north coast.

CARPOPHAGA MAGNIFICA.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CARPOPHAGA MAGNIFICA.
Magnificent Fruit Pigeon.

_Columba magnifica_, Temm. in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 125.—Ib. Pl.
Col. 163.—Wagl. Syst. Av. Columba, sp. 26.—Less. Traité d’Orn., p.
469.

_Carpophaga magnifica_, Selby in Nat. Lib. Orn., vol. v. Pigeons, p.
115.—List of Birds in Brit. Mus. Coll., Part III. p. 5.

This splendid bird, the finest of the Pigeons yet discovered in Australia, is abundant in all the brushes on the south-east portion of that country, but is less numerous in the Illawarra district than in the neighbourhood of the rivers Namoi, Macquarrie, Clarence and MacLeay; how far its range may extend from thence to the northward has yet to be ascertained; I did not observe it in any of the brushes clothing the ranges of the interior. Its chief food is the wild fig and the nut-like fruit of the large palms. It is rather a shy bird, and from its quiet habits is not easily discovered, unless it betrays its presence by the hoarse, loud and monotonous note, which is frequently uttered by the male during the season of love. This note is so extraordinary, and so unlike that of any other bird, that it causes the utmost surprise and wonderment as to what it can proceed from, in the minds of those persons who hear it for the first time.

I regret that the few opportunities I had for studying this fine bird in a state of nature were insufficient for me to obtain any particulars respecting its habits and economy; it appears never to descend to the ground, but to be constantly engaged among the branches in procuring its food; its broad hand-like feet enabling it to cling to the outermost and even the smaller boughs with ease; and hence the utility of these singularly constructed feet, which are common to all the Fruit Pigeons, is readily perceptible.

The sexes present no external difference by which the male can be distinguished from the female; dissection must, in fact, be resorted to, to discriminate the one from the other with certainty, although the smaller-sized individuals may generally be regarded as females.

Head and neck pale grey; all the upper surface and wings rich golden green; the greater coverts and the tertiaries with a patch of light yellow near the base of the outer webs, forming an irregular oblique band across the wing; primaries green; under surface of the wing brown, passing into cinnamon-brown at the base of the feathers; tail rich deep bronzy green; line down the centre of the throat, and the whole of the breast and abdomen rich deep purple; under surface of the shoulder, the thighs and vent deep gamboge-yellow; under tail-coverts greenish grey, washed with gamboge-yellow.

The Plate represents an adult male somewhat less than the natural size.

CARPOPHAGA LEUCOMELA.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

CARPOPHAGA LEUCOMELA.
White-headed Fruit Pigeon.

_Columba leucomela_, Temm. in Trans. Linn. Soc., vol. xiii. p.
126.—Ib. Pl. Col., 186.

_Columba leucomelana_, Wagl. Syst. Av., pars i. Columba, sp. 56.

_Columba Norfolciensis_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lx.?

_Norfolk Pigeon_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. Add. p. 374?—Ib.
Gen. Hist., vol. viii. p. 30?

This fine species of Pigeon is an inhabitant of those vast primæval forests of New South Wales to which the colonists have applied the name of Brushes. I found it very numerous on Mosquito and the other low islands near the mouth of the river Hunter, as well as in the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range; I believe that it breeds in both those districts; and that it never quits these luxuriant forests is the more probable, as a plentiful supply of fruits and berries is furnished by the various species of trees at every season of the year; the wild fig, the palm-nut and the grape, constitute a considerable portion of its food. I have frequently observed it sweeping over the forests in flocks of from ten to fifty in number, and often seen it also in pairs. It feeds on the wild fig, whose slender branches are borne down by its weight, particularly when it clings to the extreme end of the spray to obtain the best and ripest fruit; in this mode of clinging and in many of its actions it far more resembles the larger Honey-eaters and Parrots than the Pigeons; an examination moreover of the structure of the foot of a typical _Carpophaga_ will show that it deviates from that of the true Pigeons, and that it is beautifully adapted for the duties it is intended to perform. I have never seen this bird on the ground, not even to procure water, and the form of its foot is as little adapted for terrestrial progression, as it is admirably constructed for use among the smaller branches of the trees.

The powers of flight of this species are very great, its voluminous wing enabling it to pass from one part of the forest to another, or to a new district in a comparatively short space of time; hence flocks may frequently be observed passing over the tops of the trees, forsaking a locality they have exhausted of its supplies and in search of another where food is more abundant.

The nest of this species, like that of the other Columbidæ, is a slight flat structure formed of small sticks and twigs; the eggs are frequently only one, and never more than two in number, of a pure white.

The sexes may be distinguished by the smaller size of the female, and by her colours being less strongly contrasted than those of her mate, the yellowish white of the head and breast blending into the darker colouring of the other parts.

The male has the head, neck and breast white, washed with buff, particularly on the crown; all the upper surface, wings and tail greyish black; all the feathers of the back, rump and lesser wing-coverts bordered with bronzy-purple in some, and greenish purple in others; flanks slate-colour; abdomen dingy-buff; bill for two-thirds from the base beautiful pink-red, covered with a mealy substance; tip of the bill yellowish white tinged with lilac; irides large and of a rich yellowish hazel in some specimens, reddish orange in others; naked skin of the orbits mealy pink-red; feet buff, with the scales pink-red and the nails white.

The figures are of the natural size, and represent the bird feeding on one of the fruits of the brushes called wild cherry by the colonists.

CARPOPHAGA LUCTUOSA.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

CARPOPHAGA LUCTUOSA.
Torres Strait Fruit Pigeon.

_Columba luctuosa_, Temm. Pl. Col., 247.—Wagl. Syst. Av. Columba, sp.
23.

_M̏o-koit_, Aborigines of Port Essington.

This bird is commonly known by the name of the Torres Strait Pigeon, from its being so abundant there that few voyagers pass the straits during its breeding-season without encountering it. It arrives in the Cobourg Peninsula at the beginning of November and departs again in April or May. Like every other true _Carpophaga_ it is strictly arboreal, living among the branches of the highest trees and feeding upon various fruits and berries. Mr. Gilbert’s notes respecting it are as follows:—“This bird may generally be seen in great numbers wherever the wild nutmeg is to be found, and so exclusively does it confine itself to the trees in search of food, that during the whole time I was in the country I never saw one rise from the ground, nor did I meet with any person in the settlement who had. It flies very rapidly, and generally mounts up to so great a height as to be beyond the range of a gun. The only time at which I could succeed in procuring specimens was the evening, when it resorts to the mangroves on the small islands lying off the shore, or to the dense thickets a short distance inland; at this time it may be seen arriving in small flocks of from ten to fifteen to roost for the night. Its note, like that of the other pigeons, is a _coo_, but at times, particularly when it has paired, it is much louder and deeper than that of any other species I ever heard.

“It pairs and commences breeding immediately after its arrival in November, and I have obtained eggs as late as the middle of January. The nest is formed of a few sticks laid across one another in opposite directions, and is so slight a structure that the eggs may usually be seen through the interstices from beneath, and it is so flat that it appears wonderful how the eggs are retained upon it when the branch is waving about in the wind; it is usually built on the horizontal branch of a mangrove, and it would seem that it prefers for this purpose a branch overhanging water. That it never lays more than one egg appears to me without a doubt, for upon visiting Table Head River on the eastern side of the harbour of Port Essington I found no less than twenty nests, all of which contained either a single egg or a single young bird.”

The whole of the plumage buffy white, with the exception of the primaries, secondaries and greater wing-coverts, which are greyish black, and the tips of the tail-feathers, which are black, the black becoming of less extent as the feathers recede from the centre of the tail, until the outer feather is only slightly tipped; this feather is also broadly margined with black on the outer web for three-fourths of its length from the base; the under tail-coverts also have an irregular band of black near the tip of each feather; irides dark brown; bill dark greenish grey, except the tip, which is light yellow.

The figure is of the natural size.

LOPHOLAIMUS ANTARCTICUS: _G. R. Gray_.

_J. & E. Gould del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

LOPHOLAIMUS ANTARCTICUS, _G. R. Gray_.
Top-knot Pigeon.

_Columba antarctica_, Shaw, Zool. of New Holl., pl. 5.

_Columba dilopha_, Temm. in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 124, and Pl.
Col. 162.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 279.—Wagl. Syst. Av., sp.
11.

_Lophorhynchus dilophus_, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 348.

———— _antarcticus_, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 1st Edit., p.
58.

_Lopholaimus antarcticus_, G. R. Gray, Ibid. Appendix to 2nd Edit., p.
12.

Top-knot Pigeon of the Colonists of New South Wales.

Although the specific term of _antarcticus_ is not an appropriate appellation for this noble Pigeon, still it cannot, I think, with strict propriety be sunk into a synonym, since it was first applied to it in a work intended exclusively to illustrate the zoology of New Holland, as will be seen on reference to the synonyms above quoted. I feel assured that my excellent and scientific friend M. Temminck was either unacquainted with the publication alluded to, or that the circumstance of its having been previously described and figured had escaped his memory, when he characterized this bird in the thirteenth volume of the “Linnean Transactions,” and subsequently figured it in his “Planches Coloriées,” under the name of _Columba dilopha_.

I have not yet seen specimens of this Pigeon from the northern or western coast, and it appears to be exclusively confined to the rich and luxuriant districts of the southern and eastern portions of Australia; being particularly abundant in the brushes of Illawarra, the Hunter, the Clarence, &c., where the trees furnish it at all seasons with a plentiful supply of food. So entirely arboreal are its habits, that I never once saw it descend to the ground, or even to the low shrub-like trees. It is strictly gregarious, often traversing the forests in flocks of many hundreds in search of those trees most laden with its favourite fruit; upon discovering which the entire flock alight simultaneously with a rushing noise, clinging to and bearing down the smaller twigs and branches with their weight, for grasping which their broad, hand-like feet seem peculiarly fitted. It is a bird of very powerful flight, and usually flies at a considerable elevation in flocks closely packed together.

Among other substances found in the stomachs of those specimens I dissected, were the wild-fig and the large round berries of the cabbage-palm; and in all probability it also feeds upon other fruits of a still larger size, as its bill and throat are capable of being dilated to such an extent as to admit of a substance as large as a walnut being swallowed entire.

Its flesh is not so good as that of the other members of its family inhabiting Australia, being coarse and dry-eating.

I had no opportunity of observing its nidification, neither could I obtain any information on the subject.

The sexes are alike in plumage, and may be thus described:—

Crest over the nostrils, sides of the head, neck, breast, and under surface silvery grey, the feathers of the neck and breast being hackled, and admitting the darker colouring of their bases to be perceived through the interstices; elongated crest at the occiput rust-red; from the eye to the occiput beneath the crest a line of black, which, meeting behind, is continued for a short distance down the back of the neck; all the upper surface dark slate-grey; primaries, secondaries, and edge of the wing black; tail light grey at the base, black for the remainder of its length, crossed by an irregular band of buffy grey about an inch from the extremity; irides fiery orange, surrounded by a lash of pink-red, and seated in a bare mealy space of the same colour, but hardly so bright; bill bright rose-red, inclining to lilac at the tip; fleshy part covering the nostrils and at the base of the lower mandible, greenish lead-colour in the male, and lead-colour in the female; feet purplish red; back of the tarsi and sole of the feet greyish brown.

The figure is of the natural size.

CHALCOPHAPS CHRYSOCHLORA.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

CHALCOPHAPS CHRYSOCHLORA.
Little Green Pigeon.

_Tourterelle de Java_, Buff. Pl Enl. 177?

_Columba Javanica_, Auctorum?

_Colombe Turvert_, Temm. Pig., fol. 2nd fam. pl. 26. p. 62.—Ib. Pig.
et Gall., tom. ii. pp. 252 and 468.

_Columba chrysochlora_, Wagl. Syst. Av. Columba, sp. 79.

There are, in my opinion, several closely allied species of this form, distributed over Australia and the islands of Java, Sumatra, &c., whose specific characters have never been accurately defined; I am inclined to consider the Javanese bird as distinct from that here figured, and the bird inhabiting the northern coast of Australia, of which I have only seen one or two examples, as distinct from both. The principal difference that I have yet observed in the two species inhabiting Australia, is that the one from the north coast has the bill of much greater length than that from New South Wales; a more minute comparison, however, is necessary to ascertain if they be identical or not.

The Little Green Pigeon is sparingly dispersed in all the brushes of New South Wales, both those clothing the mountain ranges as well as those near the coast; how far it may proceed northwards has not yet been ascertained. The brushy districts are the localities peculiarly adapted to it, and these I believe it never leaves for the more open parts of the country; hence it is but little known to, and seldom seen by, the colonists, a circumstance the more to be regretted, as the beauty and brilliancy of its plumage and the neatness of its form render it one of the most pleasing objects to behold that occur in the Australian forests. When flushed, it flies very quickly through the scrub, but to no great distance, and readily eludes pursuit by pitching suddenly to the ground, and remaining so quiet that it can rarely be discovered.

I never met with its nest, nor could I obtain, either from the natives or settlers, any particulars respecting its nidification.

Its chief food during one season of the year is the seeds of the stiff wiry grass figured in the Plate, which was gathered at Illawarra.

The sexes differ considerably in colour, and the female is somewhat smaller than her mate.

The male has the crown of the head, face and all the under surface deep vinaceous; nape and back of the neck dark grey; edge of the shoulder snow-white; centre of the back, wing-coverts and outer webs of the tertiaries shining greenish copper-colour; rump and upper tail-coverts slaty-black, crossed by three indistinct bands of grey; primaries and secondaries brown, largely margined with ferruginous on the base of their inner webs; tail black, except the two outer feathers on each side, which are light grey, crossed by a broad band of black near the tip; under tail-coverts black; apical half of the bill blood-red, basal half plum-colour; feet dull reddish plum-colour; orbits dark grey; eyelash lilac-red; irides lilaceous lead-colour.

The female has the head and neck dark cinnamon-brown, approaching to chocolate; the wing-coverts much more green than in the male; face and all the under surface cinnamon-brown, with merely a wash on the breast of the vinaceous tint; upper tail-coverts brown; four centre tail-feathers brown; the two next on each side chestnut-brown, and the outer one on each side grey; all but the four middle ones crossed near the tip with a broad band of black; and the soft parts similar, but less brilliant than in the male.

The figures in the accompanying Plate were taken from specimens killed in New South Wales, and are of the natural size.

LEUCOSARCIA PICATA.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

LEUCOSARCIA PICATA.
Wonga-wonga.

_Columba picata_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lix.—Wagl. Syst. Av.
Columba, sp. 42.

_Columba armillaris_, Colombe grivelée, Temm. Pig. et Gall., fol. 2nd
fam. pl. 6. p. 13.—Ib. Pig. et Gall., tom. i. pp. 97 and 447.—Shaw,
Gen. Zool., vol. xi. p. 15.

_Pied Pigeon_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 268.—Ib. Gen. Hist.,
vol. viii. p. 47.

_Columba Jamiesonii_, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. Partie Zoolog., p. 123.

_Columba melanoleuca_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lix.—Wagl. Syst. Av.
Columbæ non visæ, sp. 8.

_Colombe Goadgang_, Temm. Pig., fol. p. 118.—Ib. Pig. et Gall., tom.
i. pp. 369 and 447.

_White-faced Pigeon_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 268.—Ib. Gen.
Hist., vol. viii. p. 46.

_Wonga-wonga_, Aborigines of New South Wales.

_White-fleshed_ and _Wonga-wonga Pigeon_, Colonists of New South
Wales.

The Pigeon forming the subject of the present memoir must always be an object of more than ordinary interest, since, independently of its attractive plumage, it is a great delicacy for the table; its large size and the whiteness of its flesh rendering it in this respect second to no other member of its family, the only one that at all approximates to it being the _Geophaps scripta_. It is to be regretted that a bird possessing so many qualifications as the present species should not be generally dispersed over the country, but such is not the case. To look for it on the plains or in any of the open hilly parts would be useless; no other districts than the brushes which stretch along the line of coast of New South Wales, or those clothing the sides of the hills of the interior being favoured with its presence. The same kind of situations that are suited to the Brush Turkey (_Talegalla Lathami_), the Menura and the Satin Bower-bird are equally adapted to those of the Wonga-wonga; its distribution, therefore, over Australia mainly depends upon whether the surface of the country be or be not clothed with that rich character of vegetation common to the south-eastern portion of the continent. As the length of its tarsi would lead one to expect, the Wonga-wonga spends most of its time on the ground, where it feeds upon the seeds and stones of the fallen fruits of the towering trees under whose shade it dwells, seldom exposing itself to the rays of the sun, or seeking the open parts of the forest. While traversing these arborean solitudes, one is frequently startled by the sudden rising of the Wonga-wonga, the noise of whose wings is quite equal to, and not very different from, that made by a Pheasant. Its flight is not of long duration, this power being merely employed to remove it to a sufficient distance to avoid detection by again descending to the ground, or mounting to the branch of a neighbouring tree. I had frequent opportunities of personally observing it at Illawarra, on the low islands at the mouth of the river Hunter, and in the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range. During my encampment in each of these parts, it was always secured whenever an opportunity occurred, for the purpose of eating, the addition of bread-sauce rendering it no ordinary fare.

Of the nidification of this valuable bird I could gain no precise information. It is a species that bears confinement well, and with an ordinary degree of attention, may doubtless be rendered domesticated and useful.

The sexes present no external difference in the markings of their plumage, but the female is somewhat inferior to her mate in size.

Lores black; forehead and chin white; all the upper surface, wings and tail deep slate-grey; primaries brown; the three lateral tail-feathers on each side tipped with white; sides of the head light grey, gradually passing into the greyish black of the breast, which latter colour is interrupted on each side by a broad line of white which passes obliquely down, and meets on the centre of the breast near the lower margin of the greyish black; feathers of the abdomen and flanks white, the latter with a triangular black spot near the extremity of each feather; under tail-coverts dark brown, largely tipped with buff, particularly on the inner webs; irides very dark brown, surrounded by a narrow pink-red lash; tip of the bill purplish black; base of the bill and the fleshy operculum covering the nostrils pink-red; legs and feet bright pink-red.

The Plate represents the male and female of the natural size.

PERISTERA CHALCOPTERA.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

PERISTERA CHALCOPTERA, _Swains._
Bronze-winged Pigeon.

_Columba chalcoptera_, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 604.—Wagl. Syst.
Av. Columba, sp. 57.

_Colombe lumachelle_, Temm. Pig., fol. 2nde fam. pl. 8. p. 17.—Ib.
Pig. et Gall., tom. ii. pp. 103 and 448.

_La Tourterelle aux ailes dorées_, Sonn. edit. de Buff., tom. vii. p.
309.

_Bronze-winged Pigeon_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 266.—Phill.
Bot. Bay, pl. in p. 162.—White’s Journ., pl. in p. 146.—Shaw, Lev.
Mus., p. 227. pl. 55.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. viii. p. 31.—Steph.
Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xi. p. 17, and vol. xiv. p. 280.

_Peristera chalcoptera_, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 349.

_Phaps chalcoptera_, Selby, Nat. Lib. Orn., vol. v. Pigeons, p. 195.
pl. 21.—G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit. p. 75.

_Ȍo-da_, Aborigines of Western Australia.

_Ar-a-wȁr-ra-wa_, Aborigines of Port Essington.

_Bronze Pigeon_, Colonists of Swan River.

The Bronze-winged Pigeon is so generally distributed over all parts of Australia, that, without a single exception, the colonists of every settlement have found the surrounding country inhabited by this fine bird. Specimens from Port Essington, Swan River, Van Diemen’s Land and New South Wales differ so little from each other, either in their size or markings, that they must all be regarded as one and the same species, the slight differences that do occur being too trivial to be considered as other than mere local variations.

It is a plump, heavy bird, weighing when in good condition fully a pound; and its pectoral muscles being deep and fleshy, it constitutes a most excellent viand and is constantly eaten by every class of persons, being equally acceptable at the table of the Governor and at that of the inmate of a log-hut in the interior of the country. Its amazing powers of flight enable it to pass in an incredibly short space of time over a great expanse of country, and just before sunset it may be observed swiftly winging its way over the plains or down the gullies to its drinking-place. During the long drought of 1839–40, when I was encamped at the northern extremity of the Brezi range, I had daily opportunities of observing the arrival of this bird to drink; the only water for miles, as I was assured by the natives, being that in the immediate vicinity of my tent, and that was merely the scanty supply left in a few small natural basins in the rocks, which had been filled by the rains of many months before. This peculiar situation afforded me an excellent opportunity for observing not only the Bronze-wing, but every other bird inhabiting the neighbourhood: few if any of the true insectivorous or fissirostral birds came to the water-holes; but, on the other hand, those species that live upon grain and seeds, particularly the Parrots and Honey-eaters (_Trichoglossi_ and _Meliphagi_), were continually rushing down to the edges of the pools, utterly regardless of my presence, their thirst for water quite overcoming their sense of danger; seldom, if ever, however, did the Bronze-wing make its appearance during the heat of the day, but at sundown, on the contrary, it arrived with arrow-like swiftness, either singly or in pairs. It did not descend at once to the edge of the pool, but dashed down to the ground at about ten yards’ distance, remained quiet for a short time, then walked leisurely to the water, and after taking libations deep and frequent, winged its way to its roosting-place for the night: with a knowledge, therefore, of the habits of this bird, the weary traveller may always perceive when he is in the vicinity of water; and however arid the appearance of the country may be, if he observes the Bronze-wing wending its way from all quarters to a given point, he may be certain to procure a supply of food and water. When rain has fallen in abundance, and the rivers and lagoons are filled not only to the brim, but the water has spread over the surface of the surrounding country, the case is materially altered; then the Bronze-wing and many other birds are not so easily procured, the abundant supply of the element so requisite to their existence rendering it no longer necessary that they should brave every danger in procuring it.

It has been supposed that a partial migration of this species takes place from time to time, a circumstance which I think is very probable, as its numbers are sometimes suddenly increased. After the breeding season is over, both the adults and young resort to the stubble fields of the settlers in such abundance, that although more than one can rarely be procured at a shot, from twenty to thirty brace may be killed in a day; and at this season it is in better condition than at any other. Although, as I have before stated, the Bronze-wing is an excellent article of food, it must yield the palm in this respect to the Wonga-wonga Pigeon (_Leucosarcia picata_) and the Partridge Bronze-wing (_Geophaps scripta_), whose flesh is white and more delicate in flavour, while the internal pectoral muscle only of the present bird is of that colour.

The Bronze-wing feeds entirely upon the ground, where it finds the various kinds of leguminous seeds that constitute its food. It breeds during August and the four following months, and often rears two or more broods; the eggs are white and two in number, one inch and three-eighths long and one inch broad.

Its nest, which is very similar to that of the other members of the family, is a frail structure of small twigs, rather hollow in form, and is usually placed on the horizontal branch of an apple- or gum-tree near the ground, those trees growing on flat meadow land near water being evidently preferred. This species is very frequently seen in confinement, both in its native country and in England, but I have not heard whether it will or will not breed in captivity. At Swan River it is said to be migratory, and to be met with in the interior of that part of the country in large flocks. At Port Essington, on the contrary, it would seem to be stationary, as Mr. Gilbert mentions that it is found equally abundant in all parts of the country; its nest is there placed upon the branches of the Banksias.

Forehead in some deep buff, in others buffy white; line under the eye and the chin yellowish white; crown of the head and occiput dark brown, bounded on the sides with plum-colour; sides of the neck grey; back of the neck and all the upper surface brown, each feather margined with tawny brown; wings brown with paler edges; each of the coverts with an oblong spot of rich lustrous coppery bronze on the outer web near the base, the outline of which towards the extremity of the feather is sharply defined; tip of each of the coverts grey fading into white on the extreme tip; two or three of the tertiaries with an oblong spot of lustrous green on their outer webs at the base, bounded by a narrow line of buff; two centre tail-feathers brown; the remainder deep grey, crossed by a band of black near the tip; under surface of the wing and inner edges of the primaries and secondaries ferruginous; breast deep vinaceous, passing into greyish on the centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts; irides dark reddish brown; bill blackish grey; legs and feet carmine-red.

The figures represent the male and female of the natural size, the latter in the agonies of death from a shot-wound.

PERISTERA ELEGANS.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

PERISTERA ELEGANS.
Brush Bronze-winged Pigeon.

_Columba elegans_, Colombe Labrador, Temm. Pig., fol. 2d. fam. pl. 22.
p. 56.—Temm. Pig. et Gall., tom. ii. pp. 240 and 466.—Wagl. Syst.
Av. Columba, sp. 58.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. xi. p. 43.

_Opaline Pigeon_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. viii. p. 33.

_Columba Lawsonii_, Sieber, Isis No. 67.

_Ȍo-da_, Aborigines of Western Australia.

_Little Bronze Pigeon_, Colonists of Swan River.

This species is neither so plentiful nor so widely distributed as the Common Bronze-wing (_Peristera chalcoptera_); it is, however, tolerably abundant in Van Diemen’s Land, the islands in Bass’s Straits, and the whole of the southern portion of the Australian continent, from Swan River on the west to Moreton Bay on the east. In Van Diemen’s Land it is very numerous, all along the north coast from Circular Head to the north-eastern corner of the island. Its habits and economy are somewhat peculiar: I have never seen it perch on the branches of a tree, nor have I heard of any one who has; neither is it an inhabitant of the open plains, but affects the most scrubby localities, giving preference to such as are low and swampy. When flushed it rises very quickly with a loud burring noise similar to that made by the rising of a partridge, which bird it also much resembles in its carriage and contour when on the ground. The shortness of its wings and tail, and the extreme depth of its pectoral muscle, render its appearance more plump and round than that of the generality of Pigeons. It is a very difficult bird to shoot, from its inhabiting the most dense parts of the scrub, from which it is not easily driven. It flies but little, rarely for a greater distance than to cross a gully or top a ridge before it again abruptly descends into the scrub.

Its food consists of seeds and berries of various kinds, particularly in Van Diemen’s Land of a plant there called Boobyaller.

I believe it never migrates, but merely removes from one locality to another, as food may be more or less abundant.

Its note is more lengthened than that of the Common Bronze-wing, and is also a more low and mournful strain, and is more often repeated towards the close of the evening than at any other time. As an article of food it is by no means to be despised, being, I should say, even preferable to the Common Bronze-wing, to which species it offers a nearer alliance in colour than in form. On a comparison of the structure of the two birds they will be found to differ materially, the wings of the present species being shorter, and the tail comprising a smaller number of feathers than that of the other.

The sexes differ so little in the colouring of their plumage that dissection is requisite to distinguish them.

In Western Australia it has been observed to breed sometimes on the ground and at others among the grass, or in a fork of the _Xanthorrhœa_ or grass-tree; the nest being formed of a few small sticks, and the eggs as usual being white and two in number, fifteen lines long by eleven lines broad.

Forehead light chestnut; lores black; crown of the head and nape dark grey; a broad line of rich deep chestnut commences at the posterior part of the eye and unites at the occiput; on the throat a small gorget-shaped mark of reddish chestnut; all the upper surface rich deep lustrous chestnut, becoming gradually paler on the rump and upper tail-coverts; primaries dark brown with pale edges, and broadly margined on the base of their external webs with ferruginous; a few of the wing-coverts with an oblong spot of rich lustrous coppery bronze on the outer web near the base, the outline of which towards the extremity of the feather is sharply defined and bounded by a line of whitish grey; others of the coverts are similarly ornamented with a spot of golden-green, and others with deep bluish green, bounded by a more conspicuous line of white; four central tail-feathers brown; the remainder grey at the base and tipped with brown, the two colours separated by a broad band of dull black, which band is continued, but is much less apparent upon the central feathers; sides of the neck and all the under surface grey, which becomes paler on the abdomen and under tail-coverts; irides very dark brown; feet bright pink-red.

The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size.

PERISTERA HISTRIONICA: _Gould_.

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

PERISTERA HISTRIONICA, _Gould_.
Harlequin Bronzewing.

_Peristera histrionica_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., September 8,
1840.

I first met with this new and beautiful pigeon on the 2nd of December, 1839, while encamped on the banks of the Mokai, a river which rises in the Liverpool range, and falls into the Namoi.

I was strolling beside the stream at sunrise, when one of these birds rose from the water’s edge, flew to the distance of forty yards, and again alighted on the ground, where it assumed much of the air and actions of a Sand Grouse (_Pterocles_). A fortnight after this I descended the Namoi, about one hundred and fifty miles, and while traversing the extensive plains, studded here and there with patches of trees that skirt the Nundawar range, I was suddenly, but agreeably startled by an immense flock of these birds rising before me, and again alighting on the ground at a short distance; finding they would not admit of near approach, I secreted myself, and desired my aboriginal companion Natty to go round and turn the flock towards me: the whole simultaneously rose as before with a loud burring noise, so closely packed, that had they not passed me at a considerable angle, many must have fallen to my shot; as it was I succeeded in obtaining four, two of which were males. Alarmed at so unusual a sound in these solitudes as the discharge of a gun, the remainder winged their way rapidly out of sight. About a week afterwards, while returning from hunting the kangaroo on a distant part of the same plain, we approached a small group of Myalls (_Acacia pendula_), and Natty suddenly called out, “Look, massa;” in an instant the air before us seemed literally filled with a dense mass of these birds, which had suddenly rose from under the trees at his exclamation; we had scarcely time to raise our guns before they were seventy or eighty yards off; our united discharge, however, brought down eight additional specimens, all of which being merely winged and fluttering about, attracted the attention of our kangaroo dogs, and it was with the greatest difficulty they could be prevented from tearing them to pieces; in the midst of the scramble, a kite, with the utmost audacity, came to the attack, and would doubtless, in spite of our presence, have carried off his share, had not the contents of my second barrel stopped his career. This was the last time I met with the Harlequin Bronzewing. I took every opportunity of making inquiries respecting it of the natives of the interior, and of the stockmen at the out stations, both of whom assured me they had never observed it before the present season. If this assertion be correct, and there seems to be no reason for doubting it, whence has this fine bird made its appearance? Had it always been common in those parts of the country, its size and its beauty must have attracted the attention of the various travellers who have, from time to time, traversed the interior. May we not reasonably suppose that it had migrated from the central regions of this vast continent, which has yet much in store for future discovery? The great length of wing which this bird possesses, admirably adapts it for inhabiting such a country as the far interior is generally imagined to be, since by this means it may readily pass with great ease, and in a short time, over a vast extent of country; this great power of flight is also a highly necessary qualification to enable it to traverse the great distances it is probably often necessitated to do in search of water.

On dissecting the specimens obtained, I found their crops half filled with small hard seeds, which they procured from the open plains, but of what kinds I was unable to determine.

Forehead, stripe from behind the eye, forming a circle round the ear-coverts, and a crescent-shaped mark across the throat snow-white; the remainder of the head, throat and ear-coverts jet-black; all the upper surface, wing-coverts, flanks and two centre tail-feathers deep cinnamon-brown; edge of the shoulder dull white; spurious wing bluish gray, slightly margined with white; primaries brownish gray, margined on their outer web with rufous at the base, largely marked with the same on the inner web, forming a conspicuous patch on the under surface of the wing, and with an oval spot of white at the tip of each feather; secondaries crossed by a beautiful deep crimson bronze on the outer webs near the tip; lateral tail-feathers bluish gray at the base, passing into black toward the extremity, which is white; breast and centre of the abdomen bluish gray; under tail-coverts light buff; nostrils and bill black; bare skin surrounding the eye purplish black; irides dark brown; frontal scales of the legs and feet lilac-red; hind part flesh-red.

The female has only a faint indication of the markings which adorn the male, and is altogether much less brilliant in her appearance.

The figures are those of a male and female of the natural size.

GEOPHAPS SCRIPTA.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter lithog._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

GEOPHAPS SCRIPTA.
Partridge Bronze-wing.

_Columba scripta_, Temm. Pl. Col. 187; and in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii.
p. 127.—Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 284.

_Geophaps scripta_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., February 8, 1842.—G.
R. Gray, Appendix to Gen. of Birds, p. 12.

This Pigeon has more than ordinary claims to the attention both of the ornithologist and the epicure, since to the first it is of interest as being a typical example of a minor group of the _Columbidæ_, whose habits and economy are very peculiar, and to the second as a most delicate viand for the table. It is, unquestionably, the best bird I ate while in Australia; and, in my opinion, it is second to none in any other part of the world: the quality of its flesh is so superior to that of the Common Bronze-wing, that the latter cannot for a moment be put in comparison with it; for, as in the Wonga-wonga Pigeon, another most excellent bird for the table, both the upper and under pectoral muscles are white, juicy and delicately flavoured, while in the Common Bronze-wing the upper muscle is brown. It is to be regretted that a bird possessing such high qualifications as an article of food should be so exclusively a denizen of the plains of the interior that it is available to few except inland travellers. It is equally interesting to the sportsman, no other bird not strictly gallinaceous offering so close a resemblance to the members of the genus _Perdix_ (Partridges) in many of its habits and manners as does the Partridge Bronze-wing; and I conceive that in no instance is the theory of the analogical relationship of one group to another more strikingly borne out than in the close resemblance of the members of this group to those of the genus _Perdix_.

When on the ground it has so much the carriage and actions of a Partridge that it might readily be mistaken for one. I sometimes observed it in pairs, but more frequently in small coveys of from four to six in number, which, when approached, instead of seeking safety by flight, ran off with exceeding rapidity in an opposite direction, and crouched down either on the bare plain or among any scanty herbage that appeared to offer the least shelter. It is withal so excessively tame, that it is not unfrequently killed by the bullock-drivers with their whips, while passing along the roads with their teams. The colouring of the bird assimilates so closely to that of the ground or the herbage, that when crouched down for shelter it is not easily to be seen, and they will often lie until it is all but trodden upon. It rises with extreme rapidity, making a loud burring noise with the wings and generally spinning off, not, as might be supposed, to another part of the plain, but to the horizontal branch of a large tree, on which it immediately squats down quite flat, in the same line with the branch, from which it is not easily distinguished or driven off. The shortness of its wings gives it much the appearance of a Partridge during flight, and it also assimilates in the arrow-like direction of its course to the nearest tree, terminating with a skimming motion of the wings before alighting.

The nearest point to the colony of New South Wales in which I met with this bird was the Liverpool Plains, from whence to as far as I proceeded on the Lower Namoi its numbers appeared to increase. I have also heard from other travellers that it is equally abundant on all the plains and banks of the rivers between New South Wales and the Murray in South Australia; but I have never yet observed it in collections either from the northern or western portions of the continent.

The eggs are two in number, and are deposited on the bare ground without any nest. The young both run and fly strongly when they are only as large as a quail, as I satisfactorily ascertained by killing one which rose before me; but at what bird I had fired I had not the slightest conception until I picked it up.

In speaking of this bird as an inhabitant of the plains, I must not fail to mention that it was far more abundant on such as were intersected by rivers and water-holes; in fact, a good supply of water seemed to be essential to its existence. Its chief food is the seeds of various grasses and other small plants, to which are added at some seasons insects and berries.

Head, all the upper surface and chest light brown, the extremities of the wing-coverts and the edges of the primaries being much paler; the outer webs of several of the greater coverts with a speculum of greenish purple obscured, barred with a darker tint; chin and throat, a broad stripe from the lower mandible to beneath the eye, another stripe from the posterior angle of the eye down the side of the neck, and a spot on the side of the neck snow-white, the interspaces being jet-black, the latter colour surrounding the eye, and also forming a crescent across the lower part of the throat; abdomen grey; flanks white; all but the two centre tail-feathers greyish brown at the base and largely tipped with black; bill black; irides black; naked skin surrounding the eye bluish lead-colour; the corners immediately before and behind the eye mealy vinous red; feet and frontal scales dark purplish vinous red.

The figures are of the natural size.

GEOPHAPS SMITHII.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

GEOPHAPS SMITHII.
Smith’s Partridge Bronze-wing.

_Columba Smithii_, Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. iii. pl. 104.

_M̏an-ga_, Aborigines of the Cobourg Peninsula.

_Partridge Pigeon_, Residents of Port Essington.

In structure this species is in every respect a true _Geophaps_, and the accompanying notes by Mr. Gilbert show that it as closely assimilates in its habits and economy to the type of the genus as it well can. It appears to be abundant on the north coast of Australia, which is the only part of the country from which I have yet received it.

“This bird,” says Mr. Gilbert, “which at Port Essington is termed
the Partridge, from its habits much resembling those of that bird,
exhibits a departure in several of its essential characters from the
typical Pigeons. In its general habits, flight, voice, mode of
incubation, and the character of its newly hatched young, it differs
considerably from all its congeners. It is rather abundant in all
parts of the Peninsula, is mostly seen in small families and always
on the ground, unless when disturbed or alarmed; it then usually
flies into the nearest tree, generally choosing the largest part of
a horizontal branch to perch upon. When it rises from the ground its
flight is accompanied with a louder flapping or burring noise than I
have observed in any other Pigeon.

“Its note is a coo, so rolled out that it greatly resembles the note
of the Quail, and which, like that bird, it scarcely ever utters but
when on the ground, where it frequently remains stationary, allowing
itself to be almost trod upon before rising. Its favourite haunts
are meadows covered with short grass near water, or the edges of
newly burnt brush. It would seem that this species migrates
occasionally from one part of the country to another; for during the
months of September and October not a single individual was to be
seen, while at the time of my arrival and for a month after they
were so abundant that it was a common and daily occurrence for
persons to leave the settlement for an hour or two and return with
several brace; in the latter part of November they again appeared,
but were not so numerous as before; and in the January and February
following they were rarely to be met with, and then mostly in pairs
inhabiting the long grasses clothing the moister parts of the
meadows.