157 



except two shot by Brown the day before Gilbert secured his 

 specimen, " but they were too much mutilated to make good 

 specimens." Upon comparing a number of these Pigeons with 

 white pectoral bands, and buffy-white or snow-white abdomens, 

 from different parts of the Gulf District with others procured in 

 Central and North- West Australia, I cannot but regard them as 

 all being referable to one species — L. plumifera, of which I rank 

 G. hucogaster as a synonymn. A pair of L. pluraifera from the 

 Gulf District have thrived well in the aviary at the Botanic 

 Gardens, Sydney, for the past four years. 



[The North- West part of Australia appears to be the home of 

 this species. In habits and appearance at a distance they closely 

 resemble L. leiicogaster of Central Australia. In some rocky 

 country near Gorda Town we saw these Pigeons for the first 

 time. Several single birds were disturbed as we passed the base 

 of the hills, but soon afterwards large coveys, consisting of about 

 one hundred birds, passed from their feeding ground to the hills. 

 At the homestead of Liverynga Station, I am informed, they are 

 very abundant in the hills close by, and are so tame that as many 

 as a dozen birds may be seen under the verandah seeking shelter 

 from the hot sun, or drinking from a dish of water placed for 

 their convenience They are also plentiful near the Margaret 

 and Gascoigne Rivers. They deposit their two creamy-white 

 eggs on the ground beneath the shade of a spinifex tussock in a 

 slight depression in the ground, in which a few bits of grass are 

 collected. I am indebted to Mr. Harris, of Fitzroy River, for 

 the clutch in the collection.] 



No. 50. OcYPHAPS LOPHOTES (Crested Bronze-wing). 



Cohimha loplwtes, Temm., PL Col., 142 (1823). 



Ocyphaps lophotes, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol., Y., pi. 70 (1848) ; 

 Sturt, Exped. Centr. Austr., vol. IL, App., p. 44 (1849) ; Ram- 

 say, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., vol. II., 2nd series, p. 171 (1887); 

 North, Nests and Eggs Austr. Bds., p. 277, pi. 4, fig. 10 (1889); 

 Salvad., Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., vol. XXI., p. 535 (1893); North 

 and Keartl., Rep. Horn Sci. Exp. Centr. Austr., part II., Zool.y 

 p. 99 (1896). 



One adult female. Camp about five miles from the junction of 

 the Fitzroy and Margaret Rivers. 



[These lovely birds had a peculiar interest for our party, as by 

 observing the direction taken by them in the morning Mr. L. A. 

 Wells found water on two occasions. They were present in the 

 greatest numbers near Mount Bates, where they came in immense 

 flocks to drink at a small pool. But wherever water existed 

 throughout the journey they were seen. Being very plump and 

 fleshy, they were often shot for the pot. At the Fitzroy River 



