QUEENSLAND and NORTHERN TERRITORY 47 



The Tweed River scrubs and the Cardwell dis- 

 trict are favourite places with these birds, and fig 

 trees abound. The fruit of this tree (Ficus) is 

 their favourite food. High up in the branches, and 

 apparently in another world, the birds feed and 

 drop fruits far below to the ground-feeding birds 

 of distinctly other species. These species mostly 

 migrate annually between the Clarence River 

 district and Cape York. 



The White-headed Pigeon is our true wood 

 pigeon, being found in New South Wales and 

 Queensland ; keeping to the dense moist hot scrubs 

 and living in the trees, eating figs. It builds high, 

 a feebly constructed nest, and lays one white egg. 



RACES OF THE BRONZEWING PIGEON 



The Bronzewing is a popular bird with sports- 

 men, though it is more interesting to those who 

 carry the field glass. The pleasure is continually 

 renewed. Map 17 shows "a," the area of distri- 

 bution of the largest sized race. As one goes north 

 to "b" the birds lessen in size, and we get the small 

 race. In the desert of the great interior and west- 

 ward, the colour of the ground has its effect upon 

 the plumage of the birds. It is paler. This is a 

 law in the distribution of Australian birds. If the 

 climate of Central Australia is good, and the rainy 

 season is just past, the pigeons will quickly extend 

 their range of distribution into it, feeding and 



