Collection of Birds from Western Australia. 189 



Iris bluish-white, bare skin round the eve pale blue, 

 slightly tinged with green ; bill of a dusky slate-colour, pale 

 blue at the base ; legs pink. 



Total length, measured in the flesh, 8"5-9'25 inches. 



Geopelia shortridgei Grant. 



Geopelia shortridgei Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xxiii. p. 73 

 (1909). 



a. £ . Carnarvon, 20th July. 



This species is most nearly allied to G. tranquilla Gould, 

 but is smaller. It resembles that species in the general 

 coloration of the under parts and in having the fore-neck 

 and chest narrowly barred with black. The forehead and 

 crown are grey, the occiput is rufous, the feathers of the back 

 and wings are largely washed with the same rufous colour; 

 most of the inner wing-coverts and scapulars have a more 

 or less irregular whitish or buff spot near the extremity 

 of either web; and the upper tail-coverts are brownish-grey 

 without dusky terminal bars. 



From G. cuneata (Lath.), which the present species re- 

 sembles in its smaller size, it may be at once distinguished 

 by the transverse blackish lines on the fore-neck and chest 

 and by the pinkish wash on the breast. It somewhat 

 resembles that species in the light spotting on the wing- 

 coverts and scapulars. 



The under wing-coverts as well as the inner webs of the 

 quills are mostly rufous-chestnut, the former being charac- 

 teristic of G. tranquilla the latter of G. cuneata, which has 

 the under wing-coverts grey. 



Iris pale yellow ; orbital skin dull orange; bill of a dark 

 slate-colour tinged with magenta; legs of a flesh-colour; 

 feet pink, claws of a light slate-colour. 



Total length, measured in the flesh, 9 - inches ; wing 

 (imperfect), ca. 40 ; tail 41 ; tarsus 0*6. 



This specimen is intermediate in many respects between 

 G. tranquilla and G. cuneata, and may prove to be a hybrid 

 between those two species. 



