530 Messrs. E. L. & E. L. C. Layard on the 



blance is so near that L. L. was much amused at the terror 

 of a friend whom he onee took with him on a forest excursion^ 

 who nervously clutched his gun and made ready for a " bolt " 

 from what he supposed was a dangerous bull, of which they 

 had been warned ; and it was with much difficulty that he 

 could be persuaded that his terrible foe was only a Pigeon in 

 a tree several hundred yards away. It is a stupid bird, and 

 easy to shoot when feeding. 



53. Chalcophaps chrysochlora, Gould. 



This Australian Ground-Dove is common everywhere in 

 the scrub equally with the high forest ; and its loud " lowing " 

 call resounds in all directions. It often startles the intruder 

 on its haunts by rising at his feet with clapping wings and 

 speeding away with the rapidity of an arrow, threading its 

 way through the tangled underwood with amazing ease, its 

 brilliant green back and rich chestnut breast alternately 

 appearing as it turns and twists to avoid some pendent liane 

 or outstretching branch that it meets in its progress. 



It feeds on seeds, which it seeks on the ground ; but it nests 

 in trees, laying a platform of stout twigs across a forked 

 branch, and on the top a layer of rootlets. Eggs smooth, 

 ivory-white, rather abruptly pointed at the small end ; axis 

 13'", diam. 10'" : never more than two in number, laid 

 September to November, 



54. TuRNix VARiA (Temm.). 



M. Marie includes this Quail as procured by him in New 

 Caledonia. Many residents here have spoken to us of a 

 Quail which they have seen, and sometimes shot; but we 

 have never yet been able to get hold of one. Our friends 

 MM. Boyer have seen them, but say they are very rare, and 

 only found by accident. We know a Quail has been intro- 

 duced from Australia. Whether these have multiplied, or 

 whether the birds seen by our correspondents are indigenous 

 to the island, we cannot tell. 



55. Herodias albolineata, G. R. Gray. 



This Heron is not uncommon along the sea-coasts of the 

 island, but in nothing like the numbers in which it is found 



