Sqo 



NESTS AXD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Mr. George Barnard. I had previously received my first examples of eggs 

 of this species. 



Professor Alfred Newton, Cambridge, has drawn my attention to 

 the statement made by Gould that " the young both ran and fly strongly 

 when they are only as large as a quail, as I satisfactorily ascertained by 

 kQIiug one which rose before me ; but at which bird I had fired I had not 

 the slightest conception imtil I picked it up." Gould's statement is 

 somewhat ambiguous and unsatisfactory, to say the least of it, and it 

 is with very gi-eat diffidence I have to qualify the statement of such 

 an eminent authority. It would indeed be remarkable were one of the 

 Pigeon tribe, after coming into down, to fly before fully feathered. I 

 wrote to the Messrs. Baniard for their field observations on the subject. 

 I'he following is Mr. Charles Barnard's reply : " I have noticed the passage 

 in Gould re young Pigeons that you refer to. I have seen them fly 

 when only the size of a large quail, but any person could see it was the 

 weak, uncertain flight of a young bird, and when they alight they will 

 allow themselves to' be picked up without attempting to escape. I do 

 not think they leave the nest until they are able to fly. " Mr. Harry 

 Barnard writes ; " The young Squatter Pigeons remain abotit a fortnight 

 in the nest, till they can fly short distances ; but they are easily caught 

 for some time after leaving the nest, as their flight is verj^ weak." 

 Further, Mr. Charles was good enough to foi-ward to me in spirits 

 a pair of these young Pigeons about a week old, taken from the nest. 

 Judging from their unfeatherod wings, it would have been impossible 

 for them to " fly strongly " at such an early age. Here is Mr. Barnard's 

 own memo., which accompanied the specimen : " The young Pigeons were 

 just about ai week old when I bottled them, the eggs were last seen on 

 Monday afternoon, 30th March (1896), and I bottled the young early 

 the following Monday." 



There is another slight inaccuracy in Gould's notes. He states 

 the eggs are laid on the bare ground " without any nest." It may be 

 true in some instances, but the Messrs. Barnard inform me they have 

 frequentlv disturbed a pair of birds scratching out their little nesting 

 hollow, which they line with soft, dry grass. 



The Partridge Pigeon breeds at almost any period of the year, but 

 usually from September or October to well into the autumn, the majority, 

 perhaps, laving in Januarv. 



The following arc some of the recent flnta of clutches collected at 

 Coomooboolaroo': 14th August (1897), 22nd October (1804), 20lli Januai-v 

 (1896), 12th March (1896). The late Mr. George Baniard, witing to 

 me, 1887, stated that then (May or beginning of Jime) the blacks were 

 continually bringing in young of the Squatter Pigeons. 



On the Darling Downs, Mr. Hermann Lau observed that the Part^ 

 ridge Pigeon went earlv to its " nuptial arr.ingements." He has taken 

 eggs in AugiLst, and adds that the eggs often fall a prey to snakes and 

 iffuanas. 



