PHAPS. 1-'-^ 



water, placed there by the land owner. All other birds settle upon the wire-netting; fence, and 

 fly down to the water on the inside. On the 21st January, 1013, a young friend informed me 

 that he had the previous day seen a IJronze-wing sitting on an old nest of Conorav mclanoi'hamphu-i, 

 close to the Dubbo to Cobbora-road, so we put the rope ladder in my motor car and ran down 

 to a spot about live miles from here. There was the Pigeon sitting on the Chough's nest, 

 in a Yellow Box-tree, only about twenty feet from the ground, and within a few feet of over- 

 hanging the main road. The Pigeon's nest was just as substantially built as they usually are, 

 being composed of twigs, many of which were projecting a few inches over the side of the 

 Choii-h's nest, and about half a dozen feathers. The nest contained two fresh eggs." 



h'rom notes made by the late Mr. K. H. Bennett, in 1886, at Mossgiel, New South Wales, 

 1 have extracted the following : — " The Bronze- winged Pigeon (PJmps chalcopteva) is a numerous 

 and constant resident of the timbered back country, where the large number of the various 

 species of .\cacia and other leguminous trees and shrubs afford it an abundant and never failin,' 

 supply of food. To anyone travelling through this country and unacquainted with its habits, 

 this bird would appear to be very scarce owing to the dense and bushy nature of the shrubs and 

 smaller trees, and instead of flying it runs off amon<_;st the scrub on the first approach of danger. 

 Let the observer, however, station himself close to a tank or waterhole, just about sundown on 

 the e\ening of a hot day, and he will be surprised at the number that come to drinlc. The 

 birds arrive and depart a considerable time after dark, their presence being indicated by the 

 noise of the wings as they alight or depart in close proximity to the pool. If nothing alarms 

 them they walk to the water and thrust the bill in up to the nostrils, taking several gulps or 

 mouthlulls, and then depart for their roosting place. Hying with arrow-like velocity. This habit 

 proves fatal to nutnhers wherever there are wire fences in the vicinity of the water, the birds in 

 their llight coming into contact with the wires with such force as either to cause instant death, 

 or such in]ury that death soon results. I have many times found the head of tlie bird on one 

 side of the fence and the body many yards away on the other, the headless body being carried 

 on by the momentum imparted by its rapid flight. Whilst passing along a wire fence I counted 

 thirteen dead Pigeons in less than a quarter of a mile. This species does not appear to have 

 any fixed breeding time, as I have found nests containing either eggs or young in every month 

 of the year; they are, however, more frequently found during the months of October and 

 November. The young are easily domesticated, and become exceedingly tame although allowed 

 perfect liberty. I have reared them on numerous occasions." 



Mr. G. .A. Keartland sent me the following notes from Melbourne, \'ictoria : — " I have shot 

 the Bronze-wing rP//i!/'s (7;<i/(('/>/'cr,;) in almost every part of .Australia I have visited, but they 

 are most numerous in the interior of the continent. This is doubtless due to the fact that near 

 settlement they are eagerly sought by sportsmen, whiUt in the northern portions of Australia 

 there are thousands of scjuare miles without a sin^^le hut or even native's wurley. Added to this 

 the supply of Tncdia and Poiiiilaua seed, of which they are very fond, is practically inexhaustible. 

 On several occasions when I have shot these birds, either when flying or perched on a branch, 

 their crops have burst as they fell on account of the vast amount of seed they contained. They 

 are usually seen singly or in pairs. During the day a pair may be seen sitting in the shade of 

 some low bush, but both morning and evening they fly to water, often travelling long distances 

 to drink. Whilst with the Horn Scientific Expedition in Central Australia in June, 1S94, ^ saw 

 a hole scooped out of the sandy bed of a creek, in the hope of linding water. The work was 

 not completed until late at night, but before daylight in the morning one of our black boys 

 killed a l!ronze-wing as it went to the hole to drink. At other times I have heard them arrive 

 at the waterholes three hours after darkness had closed in. ;\t Johanna Spring, North-western 

 Australia, I saw forty-eight birds on the ground at one time. They came singly, and dropped 

 on to the ground with a thud and after resting for a few minutes they came to the water in 



