RASORES. 117 



I have not yet seen specimens of this Pigeon from the 

 northern or western coast, and it appears to be exckisively 

 confined to the rich and kixuriant districts of the southern 

 and eastern portions of AustraHa ; being particularly abundant 

 in the brushes of Illawarra, the Hunter, the Clarence, &c., 

 where there are trees which furnish it at all seasons with a plen- 

 tiful supply of food. So entirely arboreal are its habits, that 

 I never once saw it descend to the ground, or even to the low 

 shrub-like trees. It is strictly gregarious, often traversing the 

 forests in flocks of many hundreds in search of those trees 

 most laden with its favomite fruit ; upon discovering which 

 the entire flock alight simultaneously, often bearing down 

 the smaller twigs and branches with their weight. 



Among other substances found in the stomachs of those 

 specimens I dissected, were the wild-fig and the large round 

 berries of the cabbage-palm ; in all probability it also feeds 

 upon fruits of a still larger size, as its bill and throat are ca- 

 pable of being dilated to a great extent. 



Its flesh is not so good as that of many other members of 

 its family, being coarse and dry-eating. 



I had no opportunity of observing its nidification, neither 

 could I obtain any information on the subject. 



The sexes are alike in plumage. 



Frontal crest, sides of the head, neck, breast, and under 

 surface silvery grey, the feathers of the neck and breast 

 being hackled, and admitting the darker colouring of their 

 bases to be perceived through the interstices ; elongated 

 occipital plumes rust-red ; from the eye to the occiput 

 a line of black, which, meeting behind, is continued for 

 a short distance down the back of the neck : all -the upper 

 surface dark slate-grey ; primaries, secondaries, and edge of 

 the wing black; tail light grey at the base, black for the re- 

 mainder of its length, crossed by an irregular band of buffy 

 grey about an inch from the extremity ; irides fiery orange, 

 surrounded by a lash of pink-red, and seated in a bare mealy 



