(574 ^ESTS AMD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Sub-family — Macropygiin^. 



540. — Macropygia phasianei.la, Tcniminck. — (475) 

 PHEASANT PIGEON. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v., pi. 75. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxi., p. 349. 



Previous Description of Eggs.- — North : Rec. Austn. Mus., vol. i., 

 p. 117 (1S91). 



Gengrnphical Dutrihutiaii. — Nortlicrn Ton-itoiy, Queensland, and 

 New South V.'ale.5. 



Neit. — A primitive stioicture, being simply a few sticks placed cross- 

 wise, vrithout any cavity, and barely sufficient to retain the egg in 

 position (North). 



A nest found in the Richmond River district was laj-ge for that of 

 a Pigeon, being six inches across, with a cavity about one inch deep, 

 while the whole was nine inches in depth ; but the foundation tapered 

 to a point, making the stiiictiu-e appear like an inverted triangle, which 

 was inserted in the topmost forked branches of a buoj'oiig (Tdrrirtia) 

 sapling, at a height of about thirty feet from the ground. 



E(/(/if. — Clutch, one to two ; elliptical in shape, shai'ply nipped off at 

 one end ; texture of shell fine and brittle ; surface glossy ; colour, white, 

 with a faint creamy tone. Dimensions in inches of .single examples 

 (1) 1-.3G X -Ofi, (2) 1-33 X -90, (3) 1-38 x -97. 



Ohxervationx. — This large, brownish Pigeon is a denizen of the 

 luxuriant coastal scrubs, where it is common in parts from the Gulf of 

 Carpentaria to New South Wales. I have shot them in the latter 

 locality. 



It is a graceful bird, fifteen or sixteen inches in length, including an 

 elegant tail about half that dimension. The name Large-tailed or Brown 

 Pigeon adequately describes the bird., but there may be mentioned the 

 resplendent bronzy and purplish reflections on the feathei-s of the neck, 

 the pinkish eyes with grey circle next the pupil, and the red feet. The 

 birds are exceedingly tame. Sometimes I saw them on the road picking 

 up seeds, at other times perched on low br.iiichcs by the wayside ; but 

 towards the evening the birds were jilenfiful near my quarters, coming 

 out of the scnib to feed amongst the ink-weed ( Pliytdhiccd ). When 

 disturbed, half-a-dozen, with showy expanded tails, may be seen alighting 

 upon a single stump, where one may get at least a brace at a shot. At 

 the discharge they all fly off to the scrub, but soon reappear for the 

 tempting ben-ies of the plentiful ink-weed. The call of the Pheasant 

 Pigeon is a low, monotonous lone, twice repeated. They sometimes nest 

 in such suggestive places as tho centre of a bird's nest fern or in the crown 

 of a fi^rn-tree. 



