100 CAHIMl'II.MHN^-. 



( )ne f;,'f,' is almost iinaiiably laid for a siltin;,'. 'I'liey \aty in loini liom a thick ellipse to 

 an eloiij,'ate-oval, the shell being close-f^raiiied, smooth and lustreless. The egg in the Macleay 

 Museum, taken by the late Mr. (jeorge Masters at Cape York, measures: — Length 1-4 x o-(;5 

 inches. This nest, Ah. Masters informed me, contained two heavily incubated eggs, which is 

 the only instance I have known of the normal number of one being exceeded. .-Xn egg taken 

 by Mr. liertie llislop at W'yalla, Hloomlield River, Queensland, on the ^ist August, 1894, 

 measures :- I^ength i-.S ■■; 0-99 inches. Two other eggs taken by him on the 24th September, 

 1S94, and the 2 1st No\ ember, 1S94, measure respectively : — Length (A) 1-35 x roj inches; (B) 

 1-57 X l"0^ inches. 



August imtil the end of January constitutes the usual breeding season, but in tiie lUoomlield 

 River District most nests with eggs were found in September. 



Sub-family CARPOPHAGIN^. 

 Myristicivora spilorrhoa. 



WHl IE NUTMKG-l'IiiEOX. 

 Cttqi(i/Jiin/n Inctuiisii, (JoLild (nrc Ueiiiw.), Bds. Au.str., fol. Vol. V., pi. 60 (1818). 

 C(n-pujJia</'i sj>iliirr/ioa, G. R. Gr;iy, Proc, Zoul. Soc, lb5S, p 18(j. 



Myrislicii'ord njiUurrhoa, (!oidd, Handbk. J)ds. Austr., Vol. II., p. 1 1 I (ISli.")); Salvad, Cat. BiLs. 

 lirit. Miis,, Vol. XXl., p. 2:il (ISO:?); Sliarpe, H.-iii(l I. r.cls.. Vol. I., p. (17 (IS'.MJ). 



AduI.T MALK. — Ahiirr ami hf^uir jiure iflillr^ tlir f <i/!i<'t:i <if llic lirail in soiiir speciineiis slighlhj 

 waaheil >ri//i i/rfi/ : i/ai/la li/ac/iig/i-;frii/, n.ii/ipr /ciiii/riinrh irml Ifiiinrics n-liitc : t(xH-featIiers ivliite 

 tipped ivitli lihti-k, Ui /.< hand broadfr mi tin- cfnlrd/ frutlirrs and. f/raibial/i/ decrfdxi iitj in I'xtent ttncarda 

 i/ip. oii.li;nnoti/ fmlhi'r on fi.llnr sii/i\ /rli ic/i ix narroii-l 11 hpprd and lirondl 11 rdiji d mi ils oulrr ii'eh, 

 t^xcejit in'ar the end, irilli black : tliii/lis and nndi'r tail covf/rta n-hite irilli a Itrnkfii blnckisli band near 

 the tip uf each, featlier : bill dark (/rceniah-iirei/, yelbnv at tlir tip: bujs and fret blnigh-grey ; iri.i 

 bnnvaiftli Idack. Tal.al lenijth in tlif jlr.sji hid'-'i inches, leiny cV ,S', tail .7, bill S.'i, larsns Plo. 



Adult KKMALK. — Similar in pilmnai/e In the nude. 



Distribution.— Noilhein Territory of South Australia, Queensland, Islands of Torres Strait, 

 New Guinea, Aru Islands. 



||\N Northern and North-eastern Australia the Torres Strait or White Nutmeg-l'igeon usually 

 Jl appears about September or October, remaining to breed, and then departs at the end of 

 March or April. It has been recorded fronr the coastal districts of many parts of the Northern 

 Territory of South Australia and North-eastern (Queensland and the outlying islands. In 

 Queensland it hasocurred as far south as I'ort Denison, and there is a specimen in the Australian 

 Museum procured by the late Mr. |. Kainbird in that locality. While resident at Kipple Creek 

 Plantation, Herbert Ri\'er, Mr. J. A. Boyd noticed the first arrival of these pigeons on the 9th 

 September, i8m3, ''•"^ the 6th October, 1894. 



Mr. iMank- llislop records; — "The White Nutmeg-Pigeon is very common about the 

 Bloomfield Riser, North-eastern Queensland. These birds leave the mainland every evening 

 for the Hope Lslands, near the Barrier Reef, and return again next morning. Their food consists 

 principally of quandongs and other large-stoned fruits, but I have never seen them feeding on 

 wild nutmegs. On the lower of the two Hope Islands their nests are built everywhere in the 

 trees and bushes, but on the northernmost one there are only a very few. The nest is a scanty 



