118 



PKHISI KIUD.'R. 



exletnally iritli irhitf . upiiff fail-ron'rh hlf llii' hack : ri'iilrnl f(iil-ffnlli"i-^ aslni lin»iui, tin' riniaiiuli'r 

 hiackish-broirii luri/ili/ /i/i/ti',/ iritJi, ii'hilr : si iii:>/iii/ '/"'//, /mssiiii/ luJo i/ri i/is/i-ialiili: oil tfii' Jore/iead ; 

 c/iin. and Cfnlit nl llir tlinint /rlii/tsli, jms-^tiii/ t iiln i/f'^i/ on. tlir .-nr/i's nl /In- tlirmit nwl cJifrkK : occipnl 

 Hxhi/ltroxMi, /villi ini/istinci bluish, iniiri/ins /o ikf i-mh ttf llif leatlirrs ; ii.fcl- nil rnii.iid ivhilf, iian'oii'li/ 

 biirrnd iril/i bltic/,-, thr li'iiOifrs mi lln' Imr,')- /Kir/imi nl llic ionnn'i-k sliijlitlij siijlitsi'd iritli riiiiinf:, anil 

 llioae iif till! /ii iid-ii^rk irnshi':/. ivitli iinliij-brmrn : rlir^t. ,i7id breatil /lalf riiioiis, jiaasiiiij iiitii irliitf nil 

 ilip. ce^ilrr oj the Inirrr bi'nr.'^t, nbdoin''ii ami midrr tail-coVP.rts ; uii'/rr in inj-mrrrts c'hc.stitiit : bill 

 bhiiftli t/rpi/^ bai-f .■i/'iii-f ill frnnt of l/ir- ri/f lii/lit bliifi : b-i/.-i nwl ff'l i/ri-i/i.-.h-/bsli rnlniii-, jiiiijilitih-ri'd 

 ill front : iris as/ii/ijri'i/. Total hnnjlh in the jl^'sli S ' iiichfs, iriioj .{, lull J, hill 'l-'i?, tarsus (I tlH 



Adlii.t fkmaf.K. — Similar in /iliunai/f to t/o- inolr. 



Distribution. — North-western Australia, Northern Territory of South Aiistraha, (Queensland, 

 New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia. 



f(s^ OrNT SALVADORl points out in the " Catalnj^ue uf Ihrds in the liritish Museum "•■■ 

 V-^^ tliat altliouLjh tlie name of Gropclia placida has the pricjiity of one pai,'e o\er G. trauqtiilla, 

 he prefers the hitter, which lias been more treijuently applied to the larjiier bird, and places G. 



placida as a synonym of it. Specimens from the Northern 

 Territory of South Anstraliaare undoubtedly smaller than 

 examples from New South Wales, the winj^-measurenient 

 of adult males varying; from 3-5 to 3-7 inches. Adult 

 males from Cardwell, in Nortli-eastern Australia, and 

 others from Derby, North-western .Australia, average 3-7 

 to 3'S inches, while the win^-measmement of examples 

 from New Soutii Wales \ary from 3-1) to 4-15 inches. .As a 

 rule though, the same decrease in size may be obser\ed in 

 many species of birds having a wide ran.^e, and from the 

 farther north they are obtained. Re,L;ardmg Gcopclia placida, 

 theretoie, as only a smaller torm of tr. tiajiquUla, theran^e 

 of the Peaceful Dove e.xtends over the {greater portion of 

 .Australia, except in the central and extreme southern 

 parts. 





PE.^CKKUL nOVK. 



In New South Wales it is more abumlantly distributed 

 inland than m the coastal districts, and always in the 

 vicinity of water. 1 met with it usually in pairs on the 

 Bell, Namoi, Gwydir and Castlereagh Ri\ers, flushini,' it 

 from the ground ahiiust at one's feet, as it fed fearlessly upon ;;rass seeds and the seeds of 

 herbaceous plants, then to usually perch on the thick lower branch of sonie tree. Near Moree 

 I shot it in company with the following species, Gcopclia cuiieala. It is common on the Upper 

 Clarence River, and hardly moved out of the way, on the jetty, as nne stepped from the little 

 steamer; several specimens were obtained, with a small specimen gun, in i\Ir. Savidge's garden. 

 In the neighbourhood of Sydney it is comparati\ ely rare, but it has slightly increased of late 

 years, especially in the vicinity of George River, where it is chieHy foimd. Mi. W. W. Thorpe 

 and myself observed it at (Jatley, Mr. .\. M. Rose has occasionally procured specimens at 

 Campbelltown, and Mr. Robt. Grant near Liverpool. Nearer the metropolis Mr. Grant has 

 obtained it at Five Dock, and in January, lgo7, Mr. R. \'. JMeikle presenteil a nestling to the 

 Trustees of the .Australian Museum, which, in company with Mr. .A. A. |ohnst(jn, he had taken 

 from a nest near Pymble. The note of this species can be heard a cousideiable distance away. 

 Crops and stomachs of specimens examined contained very minute seeds mixed with line gravel. 



' Cat. Bds. Brit, Mus., Vol. XXI , p. 456 (1S93). 



