CHAP. vi.J SUDDEN MIGRATIONS. 207 



reader, they congregate in vast flocks, and are migra- 

 tory. 



" When Mr. Browne and I were in this neighbour- 

 hood before, [near the Depot, where they were detained 

 six months by the drought,] he had some tolerable sport, 

 shooting the new Pigeon, the flesh of which was most 

 delicious. At that time they were feeding upon the seed 

 of the rice-grass, and were scattered about ; but we now 

 (Feb. 8th) found them, as well as many other birds, 

 congregated in vast numbers, preparing to migrate to 

 the north-east, apparently their direct line of migra- 

 tion ; they were comparatively wild, so that our only 

 chance of procuring any was when they came to water."* 

 Another discoverer describes the bird. " The pond 

 here was so much frequented by Pigeons, and a new 

 sort, of elegant form and plumage, was so numerous 

 that five were killed at two shots. The head was jet- 

 black, the neck milk-white, the wings fawn-colour, 

 having the lower feathers of purple. I had no means 

 of preserving a specimen, but I took a drawing of one, 

 by which I find it has been named Geophaps (now 

 Peristera) histrionica."f 



Mr. Gould found the Harlequins under circumstances 

 which proved that they must have made a sudden flight 

 taking their equally sudden departure from the 

 glowing hot-bed of the central regions ; on which he 

 remarks, " The great length of wing which this bird 

 possesses, admirably adapts it for inhabiting such a 

 country as the far interior is generally imagined to be, 

 since by this means it may readily pass with great ease, 

 and in a short time, over a vast extent of country ; this 



* Captain Sturt. 



t Sir T. Mitchell's Expedition into Tropical Australia, p. 323. 



