682 ^fESTs A.VD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Wales, found a nest, which consisted of a few twigs plated under a 

 bush, containing a pair of eggs. 



Like many other birds, the Bronze-wing will sometimes, wluu it 

 possesses young, endeavour to allure a person from the viciuily by 

 lluttering on the ground, just out of reach, feigning a broken limb. 



The late Mr. H. W. Wheelwright stated, in his " Bush Wanderings," 

 that while camped at Mordialloc he observed that by the end of 

 January young Bronze-wings were strong fliers, and large flocks of 

 Pigeons then congregated in favoiuitc localities previous to disjsersing 

 for the season. For about a month from that time a man who knew 

 just where to look for the birds could enjoy some " rattling sport." 

 The most Mr. Wheelwright ever killed in one day was eleven and a-half 

 brace. This was not an exceptional day's luck, for one season the 

 Pigeons were so numerous in the niontli of February in the banksia 

 and she-oak groves that he averaged with his own gun twenty-five brace 

 per week for that month. Ah ! but these were the palmy days of 

 olden times. I love old time memories. Here is another. Mr. Isa;ic 

 Batey (Siuibury), wiiting to " Tiie Australasian " on the birds of lus 

 cUstrict, relates the following incident about Bronze-wings: — "In 1863 

 something like a dozen pair of those birds appeared suddenly on our 

 property, established themselves in a nice low-bushed, scrubby ridge, 

 and when first seen by my people they were in the act of building their 

 nests. Of course they were highly pleased to see the birds settle down 

 so comfortably in their new home, and took, as they thought, eveiy 

 precaution for their preservation in keeping a bright look-out for 

 ' vagrom' gunners and bird-nesting boys. All the eggs hatched, the 

 young birds progressed bravely, the old birds grew comparatively tame, 

 and everything went on finely, until one evil day when a drove of 

 Crowa pitched in the scinib. The young folks saw this swarm of black 

 marauders alight, and, for a short space, the idea that these rascals 

 would murder their pets did not occur to them. When it did, they 

 hurried off post haste to the rescue, but were too late, as they only 

 reached the nests in time to sec the Crows swallowing the last scraps 

 of the helpless fledgelings. Tiicy had killed evei-y one, and, if my 

 memory serves, the old birds, my people told me, at once left the 

 place." 



Mr. H. W. Wheelwright recorded having taken a nest of the Bronze- 

 wing Pigeon when he was camped at Monli.Tlloc, Victoria, on dth 

 Februaiy, in the " fifties." Mr. G. A. KearLland, in the same niontli 

 (1889), shot a bird, which in its death agonies was delivered of an egg. 

 The general breeding months, however, are the spring and summer, 

 when, as Gould mentions, two or more broods are reared. About the 

 middle of April, 1898 (after a very dry season), a nest containing a 

 pair of egg.s of this Pigeon was observed near Kerang, Victoria. 



