BRUSH BRONZE-WINGED PIGEON. 253 
Columba lawsonii ‘‘ Sieber, Isis, No. 67,’’ [=Isis, 1825, heft 1, Beylage No. 1, Nomen nudum, 
in a price list of “‘ Newholland ’’ birds], Wagler, Syst. Av., Columba, sp. 58, p. (249), 1827 
(before Oct.). In synonymy of C. elegans. 
Phaps elegans neglecta Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 188, Jan. 31st, 1912: Long 
Bay, New South Wales. 
Phaps elegans affinis Mathews, 7b.: Emu Well, South Australia (interior). 
DistrrputTion.—New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, South-west 
Australia. 
Adult male——General colour above olive- or rufous-brown, including the back, 
wings, and tail; throat, a line from behind the eye, hind-neck, and sides of the 
neck rich chestnut ; wings more rufous than the back; wing-speculum metallic- 
bronze, copper, green and purple: some of the median and greater wing-coverts 
tipped with grey; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills brown, edged, more 
or less, with rufous, increasing in extent on the quills, which are rufous on both webs 
for the greater part of their length ; the outer primaries have white margins towards 
the tips ; middle tail-feathers like the back, the outer ones slate-grey, with a blackish 
subterminal band and tipped with rufous-brown ; fore-part of the head and chin 
white, slightly tinged with chestnut ; hinder crown slate-grey ; sides of face and 
entire under-surface pale slate-grey ; axillaries and under wing-coverts chestnut, 
like the quill-lining. Iris hazel-brown. Totallength 335mm. ; culmen 26, wing 167, 
tail 88, tarsus 27. 
Adult female —Differs from the adult male chiefly in having much less rufous 
or chestnut on the plumage of the upper-parts, and the under-surface darker grey. 
There is no white on the fore-head, as in the male, and the chestnut colour is indi- 
cated only by a small patch on the sides of the nape and a wash on the sides of the 
neck; the hind-neck and mantle are like the back; bill black ; iris reddish; tarsi 
and feet deep coral-pink. Total length 298 mm.; culmen 25, wing 165, tail 84, 
tarsus 27. 
Immature.—Distinguished from the adult, more particularly by the rufous 
fore-head, very slight indication of the chestnut throat patch, and the entire absence 
of chestnut on the hind-neck. 
A male example, from the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria, has the general colour 
much darker and more intensified, the most conspicuous feature being the chestnut 
colour on the fore-part of the head. 
Nest —A flat structure or platform of twigs ; usually placed in a thick bush, 
on a fallen tree, or even on the ground, in secluded scrubby localities. 
Egqgs.—Clutch, two; elliptical in shape; texture of shell fine, except the 
smaller end, which is slightly granular ; surface glossy ; pure white. Dimensions 
31 mm. by 24. 
Breeding-season.— October to January or March. 
Incubation-period.—Fifteen to eighteen days. 
Distribution and forms.—Southern Australia and Tasmania only. Three races 
have been distinguished: C. e. elegans (Temminck and Knip) from Tasmania ; 
C. e. neglecta (Mathews) from New South Wales, Victoria, South and South-west 
Australia, in its large size and generally paler coloration ; and C. e. affinis (Mathews) 
from the interior of South Australia, a much paler form, both above and below, but 
especially on the mantle. 
Genus HISTRIOPHAPS. 
Histriophaps Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. XXI., p. 529, June 30th, 1893. Type 
(by original designation) : Columba histrionica Gould. 
Large Ground-Doves with medium bills, very long wings, short tails and stout 
legs and feet. 
