260 A MANUAL OF THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



eyes crimson ; tarsi and feet very dark purple. Total length 230 mm. ; culmen 19, 

 wing 108, tail 62, tarsus 20. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male but slightly smaller. Total length 

 223 mm. ; culmen 19, wing 105. 



Immature female. Differs from the adult female in the absence of the metallic 

 wing-speculum. 



Nest. A slight depression in the ground, sheltered by herbage spinifex, etc. 



Eggs. Clutch, two ; elliptical in shape ; texture of shell fine ; surface glossy ; 

 colour light creamy-white. Dimensions 25 mm. by 20. 



Breeding -season. July to October. 



Distribution and forms. Confined to the interior of northern tropical Australia. 

 The forms are not easily definable. Gould distinguished L. leucogaster on account of 

 the more extensive white markings on the abdomen, but this seems a very variable 

 feature. The North-western form, named L. p. pallida Mathews on account of its 

 paler coloration, is also based on a variable feature and there is not sufficient material 

 to determine the subspecies exactly. 



178. Lophophaps ferruginea. RED-PLUMED PIGEON. 



Gould, Suppl., pi. 68 (pt. rv.), Dec. 1st, 1867. Mathews, Vol. I., pt. 3, pi. 42, April 29th, 

 1911. 



Lophophaps ferruginea Gould, Handb. Birds Austr., Vol. II., p. 137, (Dec.) 1865 : Shark 

 Bay, West Australia. 



Lophophaps ferruginea mungi Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 190, Jan. 31st, 1912 : 

 Mungi, North-west Australia. 



DISTRIBUTION. North and mid -West Australia. 



Adult male. General appearance of the upper-parts rich fawn colour, with 

 indistinct dark bars on the back ; sides of neck and wings more distinctly barred 

 with grey and black ; primary -coverts and quills bright chestnut, the latter margined 

 on the outer webs, and tipped with brown ; the secondaries brown, with pale margins, 

 the innermost ones with purple metallic spots on the outer webs, which forms the 

 wing-speculum ; middle tail-feathers like the back, the outer ones black ; fore-part 

 of the head and ear-coverts blue-grey ; a narrow line of black at the base of the 

 fore-head encircling the eye and meeting its fellow on the chin, followed by a white 

 band, which crosses the throat from the ear-coverts ; this is joined by a black collar 

 on the lower throat ; remainder of the under-surface fawn colour, including the 

 under wing-coverts ; a narrow pectoral band crosses the breast, the feathers of 

 which are grey, banded with black and tipped with fawn colour ; fore-head blue- 

 grey ; hinder crown and crest fawn colour, the elongated feathers buff ; long under 

 tail-coverts grey, fringed with white ; lower aspect of the tail black ; bill black : 

 iris indian-red, orbits vermilion ; tarsi and feet grey-black. Total length 205 mm. ; 

 culmen 20, wing 104, tail 64, tarsus 22. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male both in colour of plumage and 

 measurements. 



Immature. Apparently similar to adult, but may lack metallic wing-speculum. 



Nest. A slight grass-lined depression beneath the shelter of a spinifcx 

 tussock. 



Eggs. Clutch, two ; a swollen ellipse, and are more globular in shape than 

 the generality of pigeons' eggs, the grain of the shell being very fine, and its surface 

 slightly glossy. They are of a uniform pale cream colour. Dimensions 23 mm. by 19. 



Breeding-sea-son. March to October. Two broods are reared. 



Distribution and forms. Restricted to mid- and North-west Australia. The 

 interior and northern form L.f. mungi Mathews is much paler than the rarer typical 

 southern race L. f. ferruginea Gould, and is easily recognisable. 



