114 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



nimp, and lesser wing-coverts bordered with bronzy-pnrple in 

 some, and greenish purple in others ; flanks slate-colour ; 

 abdomen dingy buff; bill for two-thirds from the base beau- 

 tiful pink-red, covered with a mealy substance ; tip pf the bill 

 yellowish white, tinged with lilac ; irides large and of a rich 

 yellowish hazel in some specimens, reddish orange in others ; 

 naked skin of the orbits mealy pink-red ; feet buff, with the 

 scales pink-red and the nails white. 



Genus MYRISTICIVORA, Reichenhach 



A genus of fruit-eating Pigeons, whose range extends from 

 the Philippines, through the Indian Islands, to Austraha. The 

 general plumage of these birds is white or cream-white, with 

 markings of black on the tail and wings. 



Sp. 457. MYRISTICIVORA SPILORRHOA, G. R. Gray. 

 White Nutmeg-Pigeon. 



Carpophaga spilorrhoa, G. R. Gray in Proc. of Zool. Soc. XXVI. p. 186. 

 Mo-koitt, Aborigines of Port Essingtou. 



Carpophaga luctuosa, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. v. pL 60. 



This bird arrives in the Cobourg Peninsula at the be- 

 ginning of November, and departs again in April or May, 

 It is strictly arboreal in its habits, living among the branches 

 of the highest trees, and feeding upon various fruits and 

 berries. Gilbert's notes respecting it are as follows : — " This 

 Pigeon may generally be seen in great numbers wherever the 

 wild nutmeg is to be found, and so exclusively does it confine 

 itself to the trees in search of food, that during the whole 

 time I was in the country I never saw one rise from the 

 ground, nor did I meet with any person in the settlement who 

 had. It flies very rapidly, and generally mounts up to so great 

 a height as to be beyond the range of a gun. The only time 



