^80 NESTS A\D EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



boys brought in a pail' of eggs ou the 6th February, 1887. Kuowiug how 

 anxious i was to see the eggs, Mr. Baruai'd thoughtfully sent me one lor 

 examination. The rare specimen was duly described and exhibited at 

 the Field Natui-alists' Club of Victoinaj 8th August, the same year. 



The following year Mr. A. J. North re-described the identical egg 

 without any reference to its having been previously described at the 

 Field Naturalists' Club ; and he a member of that club too ! 



Tlie following arc the interesting data of a perfect jjair of Little 

 Green Pigeon's eggs in my collection, taken by Mr. J. C. Gordon in the 

 "Big Scrub," New South Wales, 19th January, 1891: — "Nest built 

 on slender tree — so slender that it woidd not bear my weight. Tipped it 

 over till the eggs fell out, and caught thein as they tumbled." 



According to the " Catalogue " of the British Museum, the northern 

 variety (C. loiiyirostrk, Gould^, has a longer bill, besides being a more 

 slenderly built bird than those, say, from New South Wales. 



Mr. D. Le Souef remarked during one of his northern trips that tlic 

 Long-billed Green Pigeon was generally found on the gi'ound and near 

 streams in the shades of thick vegetation. On the 5tli November (1893), 

 he succeeded in fiudnig one nest containing a single e^g, securing the 

 parent bird. The nest was very slightly built, and not more than ten 

 feet from the gi'ound, near the end of a thin bough. 



An egg of this variety in my collection, from the same locality, 

 measures 1-22 x -86 inches, and is lighter in colour than those of thcr 

 southern birds. 



Breeding months, November to February or March. 



545. — Phaps ciiALcui'TKUA, Latluun. — (462) 

 BRONZE-WINGED PIGEON. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australiii, fol., vol. v., i)l. 64. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxi., p. 526. 



Previous Descriplions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of .Australia (184X1 , 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 1J4 (1S65) ; North: Austu. Mus. 

 Cat., p. 273 (18S9). 



Geographical Distribution. — Whole of Australia and Tasmania. 



Neat.- — ^A slight stracturc or platform of twigs, slightly concave and 

 about five inches in diameter. Usually placed in the fork of a hori- 

 zontal limb of a low tree, sometimes on a bushy branch or even on 

 a stump in forest, rarely on the gi'ound. 



Eyija. — Clutch, two; roundi.sh or oval in shape; texture of shell line, 

 excepting the smaller end, which is slightly granular; surface glossy; 

 colour, piu'c white. Dimensions in inches of proper clulclies : (Roundisii) 

 (1) 1-23 X 1-03, (2) 1-27 x 1-0 ; (oval) (1) 1-3 x -94, (2) 1-24 x -92. 



