kESTS AND EGOS OF AUSIKAUAiV BIRDS. 5^y 



Sub-family — Puabin^. 



544. — Chalcophaps chrysochloea, Waglcr. — (459 and 460; 

 C. lungirostris, Gould. 



LITTLE GREEN PIGEON. 



Eigun. — Gould: Birds of Australia, foi., vol. v., pi. 62. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit, ilus., vol. x.\i., p. 511. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Campbell : Victorian Naturalist 



(iSSS) ; North : Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 27, and app. (1889) ; Le 



Souef : Proc. Roy. Soc, Victoria, vol. vii., new ser., p. 24 

 (1895). 



Geoijiaphical Distribution. — Noitliem Temtory, Queensland, New- 

 South Wales and Victoria ; also Lord Howe Island, New Hebrides, New 

 Caledonia, Ke Islands, Moluccas, Timor Group, &c. 



Xtst. — A fratl, flat structure of twigs, placed iu a low tree. 



E(j(j!<. — Clutch, two ; elliptical iu shape ; texture of shell fine, 

 except on the smaller end, which is slightly granular ; surface glossy ; 

 colour, light creamy-white, but darker iu tone than that of Ftilopus 

 sujjerbus. Dimetisious iu inches of proper clutches : A (1) 1-12 x -87, 

 (2; 1-05 X -84 ; B (1) Mix -Sj, (2) 1-OS x -87. 



Obxervationx. — This lovely little Green Pigeon enjoys an Australian 

 habitat ranging throughout the Northern and Eastern parts. 



Mr. Broadbent records he once found the bird in Victoria, feeding on 

 the fallen seeds of a black wattle (Acacia) scrub, in the vicinity of the 

 Watts River. It was again seen in the Dandenongs about 1882. A 

 bird presented to the Adelaide Museum by Mr. A. D. Macdonald, in 

 March, 1898, shot in the scrub on Yorke Peninsula, may have been an 

 escaped cage bird. If not, then " South Australia (accidental) " should 

 be added to the geograpliical distribution. 



I first made its acquaintance in Northern Queensland (1885), where 

 it is fairly niunerous, and where we bagged several beautiful pairs. Again 

 I met it in the " Big Scrub," New South Wales. Here it was frequently 

 uodced flying quickly and low through the under scrub. Being of 

 terrestrial habits, it lives on fallen seeds and fruits. Its pretty plumage 

 is perfect, and readily described, with its rich cinnamon-coloiu'ed body 

 and resplendent metallic gi-een back and vrings, the latter being beauti- 

 fully ornamented by a small snow-white patch on each shoulder. Its 

 call is a melancholy bellowing sound, two or three times repeated. 



Gould never met with the nest of the Little Green Pigeon, nor coidd 

 he obtain, either from the natives or settlers, any particulars respecting 

 its nidification. I had no better fortune diu-ing my Queensland trip. 

 At Coomooboolaroo I was evidently too early. However, at the end of 

 the season following my visit, one of Mr. Geo. Barnard's rehable black 



