WONGA-WONGA PIGEON.— ln(cos(irci<r. picula. 



lu colour, the forehead is buff, the head is dark brown changing to deep plum colour 

 at the sides, the sides of the neck are grey, and there is a white waved line luider the 

 eye, and running partly down the chin. The upper surface of the body is dark brown. 

 The coverts are marked with bronze-green spots, and the tertiaries have a large oblong 

 shining green spot, edged with buff The two central feathers of the tail are brown 

 and the rest grey, banded with black near the tip. The breast is purple-brown, 

 fading into grey on the abdomen. The eyes are reddish brown, and the legs and feet 

 crimson. 



Of all this group of birds, the Wonga-Wonga Pigeon is the most celebrated for the 

 whiteness, plumpness, and delicacy of its flesh, which, when eaten with bread sauce, is 

 of such remarkable excellence, tliat the remembrance always excites the liveliest re- 

 miniscences in those who have partaken of so great a dainty. 



The Wonga-Wonga Pigeon is a native of Australia, but is not spread generally over 

 the country, being found mostly, if not wholly, among the bushes along the coast of 

 New South Wales, or the sides of the hills of the interior. According to ]\Ir. Gould, 

 it inhabits the same district as the bush turkey, the satin bower bird, and the lyre bird. 

 It lives mostly on the ground, feeding upon the stones and seeds of fallen fruit. When 

 disturbed, it suddenly rises from the ground with a loud whirring rush like that of the 

 pheasant, and like that bird, rather startles the novice with the noise. It does not 

 maintain a long flight ; but either dii-ects its course to a neighbouring tree, or again 

 settles upon the earth. 



In coloiu' it is a very conspicuous bird. The forehead and chin are white, and a 

 jetty black line passes from the eye to the base of the bill. Tlie sides of the head are 

 grey, the Imck and upper surface are slate-grey, and the chest is deep blackish grey, 

 with a very broad white band crossing the chest and running up the sides of the neck. 

 The abdomen is white, the under coverts dark brown tipped with bull', and the flanks 

 are also white, but agreeably diversified with a bold black spot near the tip of each feather. 

 Tlie beak is red tipped with black, the eyes are dark lirown with piidc orbits, and 

 the legs are bright pink. 



