PIGEONS. 385 



crested The crested bronze - winged dove (Ocyptiaps lophotes), repre- 



Bronze-Wing. sen ted on the left side of the figure on p. 384, is the only 

 representative of the last genus, and is a native of the interior of North 

 and East Australia. Its crest is black, the head and under -parts grey, the 

 sides of the neck and breast pinkish salmon - colour, the back and rump 

 olive-grey, and the upper tail-coverts greyish brown, edged with white. The 

 smaller wing-coverts are greyish buff, banded with black, the greater coverts and 

 secondaries edged with white, and mostly ornamented with metallic green and 

 purple. The primaries are greyish black, the middle tail-feathers brown, and the 

 outer pairs brownish black, glossed on their outer webs with green, blue, and 



NICOBAR PIGEONS ( nat. size). 



purple. Gould says this dove " frequently assembles in very large flocks ; and 

 when it visits the lagoons or river-sides for water, during the dry seasons, generally 

 selects a single tree, or even a particular branch, on which to congregate before 

 descending simultaneously to drink. Its flight is more rapid than that of any 

 member of the group to which it belongs ; and impetus being acquired by a few 

 quick flaps of the wings, it goes skimming off apparently without any further 

 movement of the pinions. Upon alighting on a branch, it elevates its tail and 

 throws back its head, so as to bring them nearly together, at the same time erecting 

 its crest, and showing itself off to advantage." 



The beautiful Nicobar pigeon (Calcenas nicobarica) has a wide 



range, inhabiting not only the islands from which it takes its name, 



but extending through the Mergui and Malay Archipelagos to the Solomon Islands. 



Together with a smaller species of an indigo-blue colour from the Pelew Islands, 



VOL. iv. 25 



