122 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



black of the breast, which latter colour is interrupted on each 

 side by a broad Une of white which passes obliquely down, 

 and meets on the centre of the breast near the lower margin 

 of the greyish black ; feathers of the abdomen and flanks 

 white, the latter with a triangular black spot near the ex- 

 tremity of each feather ; under tail-coverts dark brown, largely 

 tipped with buff, particularly on the inner webs ; irides very 

 dark brown, smTounded by a narrow pink -red lash ; tip of the 

 bill purplish black ; base of the bill and the fleshy operculum 

 covering the nostrils pink-red ; legs and feet bright pink-red. 



Genus PHAPS, Selhy. 



The species of the genus Phaps, a form which I believe to 

 be confined to Australia, are more widely dispersed than those 

 of any other section of the family, being universally distri- 

 buted over the entire country from north to south and from 

 east to west ; even the parched deserts of the interior are 

 visited by them if a supply of water sufficient for their exist- 

 ence be within reach of their evening flight, which is per- 

 formed with the most extraordinary rapidity and power. 



Sp. 462. PHAPS CHALCOPTERA. 



Common Bronze-wing. 



Columba chalcoptera, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 604. 



Bronze-winged Pigeon, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp. vol. ii. p. 266. 



Pei'istera chalcoptera, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 349. 



Phaps chalcoptera, Selby, Nat. Lib. Orn., vol. v. Pigeons, p. 195, pi. 21. 



Oo-da, Aborigines of Western Australia. 



Ar-a-wa'r-ra-wa, Aborigines of Port Essington. 



Bronze Pigeon, Colonists of Swan River. 



Peristera chalcoptera, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v. pi. 64. 



The Bronze- winged Pigeon is so generally distributed over 

 all parts of Australia, that, without a single exception, the 



