112 columbida;. 



FioiTi tlie Blooinlield River, North-eastern Hueensland, Mr. Frank Hislop writes: — "The 

 White-headed F"ruit-r'if,'eon (Colmiiba Icuiomela} is only to be found in the scrub, generally on the 

 mountains, near the tops of which it breeds. These birds may often be seen feeding on the 

 berries of creepers and vines growing on trees. They are very restless, Hying from one tree to 

 another, and almost continually on the move; I do not remember ever seeing them sitting still 

 for any length of time." 



INIr. Robt. Grant remarks: — " I haveshot the White-headed Fruit-Pigeon (Coliniihii/encoiiiiia) 

 on the Bellinger River, in New South Wales, and in the ranges at the back of Cairns, North- 

 eastern Queensland, .-\llthe specimens I obtained were shot while feeding on the ground, except 

 one that was procured from the top of a low stump. The contents of stomachs examined 

 contained the remains of various fruits and berries." 



From /Mstonville, New South Wales, Mr. H. R. FIvery writes me: — " In the Richmond 

 River District, near Alstonville, I flushed a White-headed Fnut.-P\g,eo)n (Coliiiiilia leucotuela) froin 

 a nest in a teak-tree, in a secluded place in a f^rass paddock, and to my disappointment found 

 the nest contained one young bird just hatched out, the shell lying on the ground beneath the 

 tiee. The nest was placed about eight feet from the ground." 



From Copmanhurst, New South Wales, Mr. George Savidge writes me: — The White- 

 headed Fruit-Pigeon [Columha Icucoiih-la }, locally called ' Baldy,' is sparingly dispersed in the 

 scrubs of the Clarence River. I ha\e seen these birds about Coramba, and the different branches 

 of the Upper Orara River; also, during the winter months, in the scrubs about Copmanhurst, 

 where I saw them feeding on the wild cherries. The largest llock I have seen was between 

 twenty and thirty birds, near Jackadgery, on the South River. Their food consists of White 

 Cedar and other berries, wild fruits, principally figs, and also a kind of kernel that grows upon 

 tlie White Ash tree. These large Fruit- Pigeons consume an enormous amount of food when 

 the laige figs are ripe. I have seen a shower of figs beneath the tree caused by the various 

 pigeons and other birds knocking them off; the topmost branches are attacked first, and as 

 these are denuded of fruit the lower limbs are attacked; some of our very large fig trees bear 

 fruit nearly all the year round, but mostly in January and February. The nest of the Wliite- 

 headed Fruit-Pigeon is not often found; those obtained by us were placed in a mass of vines, 

 and composed of sticks and wiry tendrils, not unlike the nest of Mes:iilopifpiii nuti^iiifica. This 

 species breeds during September, October, November and December." 



Only one egg is laid for a sitting. One in Mr. George Savidge's collection, talcen by him 

 at Gordon Bank, Clarence River, New South Wales, is a true ellipse in form, of a very faint 

 creamy-white, the shell being close-grained, smooth and lustreless. It measures: — Length i-8 

 X 1-2 inches. An egg in Mr. S. Robinson's collection, taken by Mr. .\. Hamilton on the i6th 

 November, igog, at Yungaburra, North-eastern Queensland, measures: — Length 1-54 x i'i8 

 inches. 



In North-eastern New South Wales Mr. George Savidge has found nests from September 

 to December. In Queensland Mr. A. Hamilton has obtained nests with eggs in November, 

 and both Mr. H. G. Barnard and Mr. A. Meston found nests with a single young bird in each in 

 February and March. 



