GEOPIIAPS. 



;i9 



takfii by Mr. li. G. Barnard, at Aloora Plains, Westwood, Oueensland, on the lotli November, 

 lyii, measures : — Length (A) 1-13 x u-Sg inches; (B) i-i8 x o-88 inches. 



Like many of our Pigeons, tliere appears to be no fixed breeding season for this species; 

 it is, however, greatly regulated by a hea\y rainfall, after which nests with eggs or young may 

 be found at all times of the year. 



Geophaps smithi. 



SMITH'S I'ARTKIDUK HRONZE-WINii. 

 Cohnnha siiuthii, .Jard. and Helhy, 111. Orn., Vol. 11., pi. 104 (l.S;30). 

 G,'u/iha/i.-< amilhii (iould, Bds. .\iistr , fol. V'ol. V., pi. GS (18fS); u/ , Handl.k. Bds. Austr., Vol. 



IP, p. 133 (1865). 

 G''o/,haps ^ini/hi, tiii\viid., Ca.t. Uth. ilrit. .Mus., V,.l. XXI., p. ."lo-J ( I S93) ; Sliarpe, Hand-I. ikls., 



Vol. !., p. 85 (1899). 



Al>i;i.r MALK. — General colour above, incliidiiiy the head and iv'iikjs, (iroivn tinged icith olive, 

 till- (/renter n:ing-coverts wil)i pa.ler bruwn margins: outer u:ehs of quilh ivitli narvotv Im.ffy margins, 

 the outer uvlis of the four innermost secondaries, and of the iniier greater u'ing-coverts for tivo-thirds 

 of (heir leugt/i, rich /iur//le or metallic-green^, ivilJi broad dull blackish cross-bars extendiiig to the 

 7iarron' margin of bn[f' : ce/nfral tail-featliers brown shgltllfi lingetl tri/li olivf : the reinaiiider black 

 externally edged around the tip u:ilh brown, and loiviny t/ieir bases greyish-broivn ; around 

 and behind the eye a bare sjxK'r, bordi'red n'ith a iiarrou} line of tvhite feathers, n-hich becomes 

 broadfr at tlie base 0/ thf bill, ami more especiullg the loirrr uiaudtble : cliin and throat u'hite, the 

 latter bordered around ivitli a narrow line of dark greyish-brown feat/iers ; cheeks dark greyish-brown ; 

 foreneck broum, ivitlt a small patcli id pale grey featJiers subniaryinally bordered tvith black and liaving 

 //'•rrow n^hilish edges ; chest anil upper breast faint pnr pilishbrorvn, ivith slightly darker marghis 

 til till feiillirrs , sides uf the breast n-hite : centre of t/ie abdomen, rent and under tail-coverts yelliurish- 

 bii ij', the latter broadly centred wit/i dark grey or greyish-broivn ; flanks buff, indistinctly edged with 

 dull pnr/ilish-brown : bill slaty-black ; legs and feet purplish-black : bare space around the eye bright 

 rfd ; iris asliy-yellon\ Total b-uijlh in the fles/i l(l-.'> inches, wing 5 3, tail o'S bill Oil, tarsus I'l. 



Adult fumale. — Similar in /iluinage to the male. 



iJistributioii. — North-western -\ustralia, Northern Territory of South .Xustralia, Northern 

 Queensland. 



<ST AIvDINE and Selby described the type of this species in their " Illustrations of Ornithology," 

 T_l and dedicated it to Sir j. E. Smith, late President of the Linnean Society. Like 

 Chlanivdodiva nuchalis and Halcvoii niaclcayi described in the preceding pages, no habitat is 

 given beyond " New Holland." It replaces Geophaps scvipta in the northern portions of the 

 continent, inhabiting North-western .-\ustralia, the Northern Territory of South .\ustralia, and 

 the eastern portions of Northern Queensland. In the Australian Museum Collection there are 

 specimens obtained by the late Mr. Alex. Morton at Yam Creek, about one hundred miles inland 

 from Port Darwin, and where also in the latter locality the late Mr. Edward Spalding procured 

 examples that are now in the Macleay Museum, at the University of Sydney. I have on several 

 occasions noted living birds in the dealer's shops in Sydney, and enquiries elicited the fact that 

 they were mostly received from Port P'arwin, and not a few from the east of Normanton and 

 Burketown, in the Gulf District, Northern Queensland. In January, 1911, they were particularly 

 numerous in the bird dealer's shops in Lower George-street and in the Sydney Markets. 



Mr. Chas. G. Gibson, late .Assistant Geologist of Western .Vustralia, who accompanied the 

 Brockman Expedition for the Exploration of North-west Kimberley, North-western Australia, 



