10s CAIiPCJPIlArUNVE. 



Dfiidrohiitm undnlatiim, on the old gold plumes of the orchid. Those pigeons who elect to incuhate 

 on the ground, discard even the rude platform of twigs, which generally represents the nest of 

 those who prefer bushes and trees, but gradually encircle themselves with tiny mounds of 

 ejected seeds, until the appearance of a nest is presented." 



Mr. H. G. Barnard has sent nie the following notes from IJimbi, Duaringa, Queensland: - 

 "The White Nutmeg-Pigeon ( Myristicivora spiloryJioa } breeds in large numbers on all the 

 islands from Cardwell to Cape York Peninsula. I have seen their nests in hundreds du 

 the North and South Barnard Islands, almost every tree and bush being covered with them; 

 many of the nests were also placed on ferns and stones close to the ground ; the nests are usually 

 composed of small branches broken fnim the trees, and flattened down ; presumably the reason 

 for this is that the birds, being so numerous, suitable positions would be hard to hnd to place 

 stick structures on, whilst branches can be found almost anywhere. At Somerset, Cape York, I 

 observed odd pairs of these birds breeding in the iriangroves, and there the usual stick structures 

 were used, only rather larger than is usual with Pigeons. Though I have seen the nests in 

 hundreds, yet I never found more than a single egg or young bird in any nest. The Black 

 Butcher l:!ird (Cvacticus qiioyi ) is a great robber of these Pigeon's nests. I have seen them 

 frequently light beside a sitting Pigeon, make a pick at her, and as soon as she leaves the nest 

 eat the egg." 



In January, 1890, Mr. J. A. Boyd forwarded me the eggs of this species, taken by 

 Captain Proctor on North Barnard Island, in December, 1889; also the accompanying notes 

 communicated by Mr. \V. T. White, of Greenfield, relative to the nidilication of this fine 

 Pigeon:— "A few years ago these birds came to the scrubs on the Herbert M'wev in great 

 numbers, generally during about the beginning of September, and remained until the end of 

 March, but during the last three or four years they have become very scarce, in fact I did not see 

 a score altogether last year. The decrease in their numbers is no doubt due to the wholesale 

 slaughter of these poor birds during the breeding season, and unless this is prevented the Torres 

 Strait Pigeon will entirely disappear from this district. I have found the eggs of these birds 

 during November and December. The nest is a \ery rude structure, consisting simply of a 

 few twigs laid across each other in the fork of a horizontal branch, generally not more than 

 fifteen to twenty feet from the ground, and so open that the egg is often visible from below. The 

 birds appear to prefer mangroves and tea-trees, and do not crowd their nests together, although 

 three or four pairs may sometimes build in the same tree. I have frequently found their nests 

 fully twenty miles inland, but think most of thein build very close to the sea." 



Mr. Boyd informed me that they breed sometimes in the open forest Eucalypts, and that he 

 had obtained very young Pigeons miles from the coast, and is of opinion that the cause of these 

 Pigeons not frequenting the Herbert River District so much as formerly is due to the felling 

 of hundreds of acres of scrub that contained the berry-bearing trees on which they fed. On the 

 nth October, 1892, while rowing up a salt-water inlet, Mr. Boyd noticed a Torres Strait Pigeon 

 flying away, and saw its nest some four feet above high water. The nest was built of 

 sticks and twigs in a thin pronged fork springing from a horizontal mangrove branch, and was 

 cup-shaped externally, being about four inches deep in the centre, but the top was so flat that 

 the egg was clearly visible over the side. 



From Cobborah Station, Cobbora, New South Wales, Mr. Thos. P. .Austin wrote me: — 

 " During my visit to Northern Queensland in October, 1907, I first saw the Nutmeg-Pigeon 

 ( Myvisticivora spilorrlwa ) from the steamer as we approached one of the Frankland Islands, about 

 six a.m. Large flocks, one after the other, could be seen flying from the island to the mainland. 

 At first I thought they must be Ducks, but as we drew closer I could see they were Pigeons of 

 some species ; at last a large flock of them flew directly over the steamer, when I could see the 

 colour of their plumage. I subsequently saw them in thousands in the fruit-bearing trees 



