NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIA'DS. ggc) 



As Professor CoUett says, it is easily distingiiislicd from P. alhi- 

 jjeniiis by its gi-eater size, by the chestniit primaries, by the pale-gi-ey 

 centres of the feathers of the head and by the whitish throat. 



It inhabits in flocks the sandstone hills in the central position of 

 Amhem Land, and at times lies close amongst the stones. 



550. — Geoph.^ps scripta, Temminck. — (465) 

 PAETRIDGE PIGEON. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v., pi. 67. 



Refereme. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxi., p. 531. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — *Gould : Birds of Australia, Hand- 

 book, vol. ii., p. 132 (1865) ; *Ramsay : Proc. Zool. .Soc, p. 116 

 (1S76); Campbell: Southern Science Record (1SS3) ; North: 

 .Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 275 (i88q). 



Geograpliirnl Dhtrihiitinn. — Queensland, New South Wales, and 

 South (interior), and North-west ( ?) Australia. 



Nest. — A little hollow, scooped in the gi'ound, about an inch deep, 

 and lined more or less with dead, soft grass, sometimes sheltered by 

 herbage. 



Eygst. — Clutch, two ; stoiit ellipse in shape ; texture of shell 

 somewhat fine ; surface glo.ssy ; colour, white, vpith a sUglit creamy tone. 

 Dimensions in inches of a proper clutch : (1) r'23 x '96, (2) 1-18 x '93 ; 

 of another pair : (1) M9 x -9 ; (2) M8 x -94. 



Obxervafioiis. — This peculiar form of Pigeon or Partridge Bronze Wing 

 is strictly ten-estrial in its habits, and is a dweller chiefly of the interior 

 parts of Eastern Australia. 



It is an exceedingly plump bird, and for the delicious flavour of its 

 flesh is deemed equal to that of the far-famed Wonga^Wonga Pigeon. 

 In Gould's opinion it was second to none in any part of the world, and 

 he spoke witli authority. 



The Squatter Pigeon, as it is generally called, may be observed on the 

 plains or open timbered countiy in pairs, or, as Gould more frequently 

 saw them, in small flocks of from four to six in number, which, when 

 approached, instead of seeking safety by flight, loin away rapidly and 

 crouch do%vn or " squat " (hence the vernacular name Squatter), either 

 on the bai'e plain or amongst scanty herbage, where they will almost 

 suffer themselves to be trodden upon before flying. Wlien they do rise, 

 it is with a shai-p burring sound of the wings. They either make for 

 another part of the plain or alight vipon a horizontal limb of the nearest 

 tree, where they steadfastly squat again until flushed or " potted." 



I fear I was guilty of potting a few of these fine Pigeons at Coomoo- 

 boolaroo, Queensland, from whence, through the goodness of the late 



*Nn dimensions are given with these descriptions. 



44 



