144 I'KlUSrKHID.K. 



male bird, who dm inc; his com tship sits and fans witli iiis tail in a peculiar manner, IlitlinL; suddenly 

 to another stone and sij on. Alter disposing of all but one pair, the cock killed liis mate, and 

 shortly after escaped himself, re-appearing aliout eighteen months afterward, having doubtless 

 escaped from his prison elsewhere. This bird is still alive and well, ha\ing since passed into the 

 hands of another fancier." 



The eggs are two in number for a sitting, elliptical in form, of a pale cream or creamy-white, 

 the shell being comparatively close-grained, smooth and almost lustreless. A set of tw^o taken 

 by Mr. C. E. Cowleat Crown Point, Central .Australia, on the 12th November, i8g5, measures: — 

 Length (A) i-oy x o-8 inches; (B) i-o6 x 079 inches. Another set taken by liiin in the same 

 locality on the 5th March, 1896, measures: — Length (A) i-og x 0-82 inches : (B) 1-28 x o-8 

 inches. A set of two talcen by Mr. E. J. Harris on the Margaret River, in North-western 

 Australia, measures : — Length (A) 1-07 x o-8 inches; (B) rod x o'8i inches. An egg of a 

 [ ' set of two taken l)y the late Sub-Inspector E. Armit, near Normanton, in the Gulf District, 

 Northern Queensland, measures: — Length \-(>^ x o-s inches. 



Immature birds of both sexes resemble the adults, bnt are everywhere much duller in colour, 

 the white band on the upper breast is narrower and ill-delined, aud the succeeding grey and 

 black bands in the adult are dull greyish-brown and brownish-black in the immature birds; 

 there is only an indication of the creamy or buffy-whiteon the centre of the breast and abdomen, 

 and the gorget-shaped marking on the lower throat is dull brownish-black'. Wing 4-1 inches. 



There is no H\ed breeding season for this species, the birds in Central Australia usually 

 commencing to nest after the rainy season is over, at the end of February and March, but nests 

 with eggs or young are found throughout the year. 



Lophophaps ferruginea. 



RUST-COLO L'EED BRONZE-WING. 



Lc>jJnip!i<ijis/rfrii,i/ineii, Gould, Handhk. Bds. Austr., Vol. 11., p. 137 (18(10) ; i,/., I^.ds. Au.str., fol. 

 Suppl., pi. 68 (1869); Eamsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., Vol. II., ind series, p. 171 (1887); 

 North, Trans. Roy. Soc. 8. A., Vol. X.KII., p, 15.5 (1898). 



L,<l,linpltnps pluiii'ifrra, Salvad. {loe Gould), Cat. ISils. I!rit. Mus., Vol. XXI., p 5:3.1 (ISO."}). 



Adui.T M.\r.K. — (inneral colour aliurr pule ciuviunoii, t/ir ffatJiPrs of ihr Iiind-wck tvilh u blackish 

 .siih/eri)iinii! rrnss-har, aiiA t/i.eir centres sliadi il iritli i/reij ; llie nppifr ii'niij nirrrl^ (ind scnpn.hirs 

 crossed hi llie centre ii'ith silvery-i/rei/, folloirf il lii/ d udrroirer li/iodxis/i /mud .■ inaiitle ru/uus- 

 cititiauwu, 10UI1 tl)e remains of nn indisfiuct sulruuirf/iual duskij Ittir to oil tlif f atlo rs : primaries 

 cinnamon colour, hroadli/ tipp'd. u-itli dark louiu-u, Increasiur/ ill e.rlent tau-uids tlw ontermost on 

 either side, u-Ineli has the mitire outrr uvlis dark liriuru : sicundurifs dark hru/i-ii, uiari/iued on the 

 outer webs ivillt pide J'au-n colour, tlie tliree innermost with an olilon;/ spot of hrou-jy-purpde towards 

 the tips of their onte.r webs ; ruuip and upper tail-core.rts ciunauion-hnufu, richrr in colour on the 

 margins of tlie feathers ; central tail-feath''rs eiitnauion-hrowu, thr reiuaiudi'r li/ackish indistinctly 

 tipped and harimj their bases cinnainon-broim ; a line of feathers e.ctending from the base of the bill 

 above, and another beloic, the eye black : forehead and sides of cro/vii i/no/ : centre of the crown and 

 lengthened crest plumes cinnamon, th latter passing into fawn irhitr i,n their apical portion: ear- 

 corerts silrerii-gny : chin black : upper tliroat, cheeks and a narroir line abure the ear-corerls white; 

 a lunate marking mi the lower tliroat ami ividening ont at tlie sides black ; reiuainder of the under 

 surface cinnamon, irith a crescent on the chest formed of a black snbmarginal crossdmr to the feathers, 

 basal pirrt ion of remaitider of f 'Others nj the crescent grey; under tail-cocerts broirnish-grey edged 

 with dnll white, some of them with dull fairn-colomed tips ; bill black ; legs anil feel greyish-black ; 

 bare skin around tlie eye cinnamon-red. Total length 8 inches, winy .'pi, tail .;■[), bill Oil, tarsus fJ-S'. 



