250 NATURAL HISTORY OF HIRDS. 



Tlio only incinber of this {jcniis found in Australia is M. phasianella, which has a 

 ricli, iii-it_v-l>ri>\\ II ]iliiiii:im', with thv siilos ami liack of tlio iicrk ulossi-il with Iironzy-pur- 

 j>k' ; till' hilonil tail-fi-athiTs crossfd noar tlic tiji h\ a lu-oail lilack liaixl ; tbc iris, blui', 

 with an outer circle of scarlet ; the feut, pinkisii-red. The ]ihcasant-tailed pigeon, as it 

 is ealle<l, resorts entirely to the Iirush from Illaxvarra to Moreton Bay, wliere it is 

 connnoM. It spends much of its lime on the gronml, searching for seeds, usually four 

 or five birds being in company. When on the wing, witli its broad, lengthened tail 

 spread to the fullest extent, it appears to the greatest advantage. It is of about the 

 sai7ie size as the preceding sjtecies. 



GcopeUa, our next genus, is coni])oscd of about six species, four being natives of 

 Australia, some of which, together with the remaining inendjers of the genus, being 

 found in different Moluccan and Papuan islands. In Australia thej' inhabit the hills 

 and extensive plains of tlie interior, passing much of their time upon the ground. 

 They arc .small birds, with a modest i)luniage destitute of metallic coloring. The tails 

 are long and graduated, and they have rather lengthened legs, to fit them for their 

 terrestrial life. The (i. liiimeriilis is one of the most elegant of these graceful crea- 

 tures, and is extremely abundant at Port Essington, iidiabiting swampy grounds and 

 banks of running streams. Its food is seeds of various grasses and berries, and it is 

 very gentle, tlitting from one branch to another when disturbed. The head, sides of 

 neck, anil lircast are delicate gray ; i)ack, wing-coverts, runij), and ujtjier tail-covert.s, 

 brown; feathers of back of neck rufous banded with black on the ends; two middle 

 tail-feathers, dark-gray, rest reddisii-brown at base, and largely ti]ipcd with white. 

 This is the largest species of the genus. G. cuneata, also from Australia, is a beautiful 

 little species, which makes a frail but pretty nest from the stalks of flowering gnisses, 

 crossed and woven together. One was composed of a small species of Composita, 

 and placed on the overhanging gra.sses of Xniitliorrheit. This i)ird is called by the 

 natives men-na-brunku, from a traditionary idea that it introduced the meti-na, a gum 

 which exudes from an Acacia, a favorite article of food of the aborigines. Another 

 8i)ecies, G. maiigei, is found in the iMoluccan and Paj)uan islands ; it differs from the 

 rest in h:iving the entire under parts wliitish, liarred with iilack. 



.Soutli Africa in-esents us with a distinct genus, ^Ena, containing a .single beauti- 

 ful species, uK cujiensis. The forehead, cheeks, chin, throat, and chest are glossy 

 black; ui>per ])arts, ash-color ; second.iries, bluish with a purple s]iot ; wing-feathers, 

 deep-red, edged with brown; a white bar extends across the rump, succeeded l)y a 

 narrow black one; the tail is long and graduated. These birds are very abundant, 

 and arc chiefly terrestrial in their habits. In the Karroos they breed in the mimosa 

 bushes. They generally go in ]iairs, feed on seeds, and the eggs have a rosy tint from 

 the thinness of the shells. The young at first are mottled. 



Zenaidiira is well reiiresented by its f.uniliar sjiecies, the Carolina dove of Xorth 

 and Central America, the Z. carolincuKis of authors. This bird is distributed through- 

 out the United States, from the Atlantic to the P:icilic, but does not pass further north 

 on the eastern sea-board than southern New Engl.uid. In its habits it does not differ 

 from other dove-like species, save that its method of nesting de])ends somewhat u])on 

 cinuMistimces; it deposits its eggs on the ground in many sections of the countrv, 

 but in districts where many venomous reptiles abound, the nest is ])laced on cacti and 

 thorny bushes, which afford such protection, by their numerous spines, that even 

 snakes can hardly climb them. This gentle bird is a gleaner of the fields, iVnwx Httle 

 or no damage, but picking uj. such seeds and grain as may be on the ground. It 



