144 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Genus GEOPELIA, Swainson. 



A form very generally distributed over the Indian Islands 

 and Australia, and of which two species are peculiar to the latter 

 country ; grassy hills, flats, and extensive plains are the situ- 

 ations these birds affect, consequently in Australia they are 

 almost exclusively confined to the interior ; they pass over the 

 ground in a quiet and peaceful manner, and when disturbed 

 fly to some neighbouring tree, descend again almost imme- 

 diately, and search about for the minute seeds of annuals and 

 other plants, upon which they principally subsist. 



Sp. 472. GEOPELIA TRANQUILLA, Gould. 

 Peaceful Dove. 



Geopelia tranquilla, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v. pi. 73. 



The interior of the country northward from New South 

 Wales is inhabited by considerable numbers of this pretty 

 little Dove, but it has not yet been met with either in Southern 

 or Western Australia. It was very abundant on the Namoi, 

 particularly on the lower part of that river; and that its 

 range will extend over a large part of the interior is more 

 than probable. 



It is chiefly observed on the ground, feeding on the seeds 

 of the various kinds of plants that grow under the shelter of 

 the thinly-timbered forests bordering the plains. 



The only observable difference between the sexes is the 

 smaller size of the female. 



Pace and throat grey ; occiput, back, and wings ashy 

 brown, each feather with a band of deep velvety black at the 

 extremity ; spurious wings and primaries dark brown ; under 

 surface of the shoulders chestnut ; chest, sides, and back of 

 the neck grey, crossed by numerous narrow bands of black; 

 abdomen and flanks vinous; four central tail-feathers ashy 



