BRUSH BRONZE-WINGED PIGEON. 253 



Columba lawaonii " 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, ib. : Emu Well, South Australia (interior). 



DISTRIBUTION. 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. Total length 335 mm. ; 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. 



Eggs. 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 (Ternminck 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. 



