196 BRONZE- WINGED GROUND DOVE. 



face of the earth itself, making a very inartificial 

 nest, and laying two white eggs. It is usually seen 

 in pairs, and the place of its retreat is readily dis- 

 covered by its loud and sonorous cooings, which, at 

 a distance, are said to resemble the lowings of a cow. 

 Its chief food consists of a berry resembling a cherry, 

 the stones of which are generally found in its sto- 

 mach, during its abode around Sidney, which ap- 

 pears to be there restricted to the breeding season, 

 as it is only met with in that district from the month 

 of September till February. 



In size it equals our Wood Pigeon, measuring 

 about 15 inches in extreme length. The bill, from 

 the corners of the mouth, is nearly one inch, of a 

 black colour, reddish towards the base. The fore- 

 head, the sinciput, the streak beneath the eyes, and 

 the throat, are white. The crown hair-brown, with 

 a reddish tinge, surrounded with a broad fillet of 

 dusky cochineal red. Cheeks and sides of neck blu- 

 ish-gray. Lower part of fore neck and breast pur- 

 plish gray. Abdomen and vent gray, slightly tinged 

 with pale lavender-purple. Back, scapulars, rump, 

 and upper tail -coverts, hair-brown, with a greenish 

 tint in some lights, each feather margined paler. 

 Lesser and greater wing-coverts bluish-gray, the ex- 

 terior webs each with a large ovate metallic spot, 

 exhibiting various tints, according to the light in 

 which it is viewed. Quills hair-brown on the upper 

 surface ; the inner surface of the inner webs deeply 

 margined with pale reddish-orange, which is also 



