206 HARLEQUIN BRONZE-WING. [CHAP. V i. 



complete, is experiment upon experiment with each 

 available species. 



The Harlequin Bronze- wing derives its name proba- 

 bly as much from the black mask with which its face is 

 covered, as from the gay colours with which other parts 

 of its person are decorated. Its first discovery is thus 

 recorded : 



" On breaking through a low scrub, we crossed a 

 ridge of sand, on which numerous pine-trees were grow- 

 ing. The day was excessively hot, and the horses in 

 the team suffered much. I therefore desired Morgan 

 to halt, and, with Mr. Browne, rode forward in the hope 

 of finding water, for he had shot a new and beautiful 

 Pigeon, [Peristera histrionica,] on the bill of which 

 some moist clay was adhering ; wherefore we concluded 

 that he had just been drinking at some shallow, but 

 still unexhausted, puddle of water near us : we were, 

 however, unsuccessful in our search, but crossed pine 

 ridge after pine ridge. 



"As we crossed the plains near Flood's Creek we 

 flushed numerous Pigeons ; a pair, indeed, from under 

 almost every bush of rhagodia that we passed. This 

 bird was similar to one Mr. Browne had shot in the 

 pine forest, and this (Dec. 9th) was clearly the breed- 

 ing season ; there were no young birds, and in most of 

 the nests only one egg. We should not, however, have 

 encumbered ourselves with any of the young at that 

 time, but looked to a later period for the chance of 

 being able to take some of that beautiful description of 

 Pigeon home with us. The old birds rose like Grouse, 

 and would afford splendid shooting if found in such 

 a situation at any other period than that of incubation ; 

 at other times however, as I shall have to inform the 



