Birds of Melville Isla^id. 97 



10. Phaps chalcoptera consobrina. Northern Bronze-winged 

 Pigeon. 



Phaps chalcoptera co?i5o6rma Mathews, Nov. Zool. vol. xviii. 

 1912, p. 188 : Parry's Creek, North-west Australia. 



Not numerous, but usually a few are seen every day 

 feeding under the wattle-trees near the mangroves either 

 singly or in pairs. On the 6th of November several young 

 birds were noticed, fully feathered, but still very small. 

 They were not accompanied by their parents, but were 

 usually in pairs. After the 7th of December none were 

 seen until the following June. 



11. Terraphaps smithii sinithii. Naked-eyed Partridge- 

 Pigeon. 



Cuhimba smithii Jardine and Selby, Illustr. Ornith. vol. ii. 

 1830, pi. 104: Northern Territory. 



These birds are very numerous, and usually found in 

 flocks numbering up to twenty birds. They lie very close 

 and generally rise at one's feet. Sometimes the whole flock 

 will spring up in a bunch from the same spot, but more often 

 in ones and twos. It is difiicult to see them when they are 

 on the ground, unless they move. When flushed they either 

 fly into a tree near by or shoot up clean over the tree-tops 

 and away. The timber is too tall and thick to see how far 

 they go. They feed on the large black seeds of the common 

 Eucalyptus of the island. This tree is a fine straight one 

 which bears many large seed-vessels. Later in the season 

 they feed on grass seed and become very thin. 



When scattered, the call-note is a low moaning '■'coo" 

 repeated many times until the flock is gathered again. On 

 the north side of the Island they seemed rare, but in 

 February 1912 they were quite plentiful near Apsley Straits. 

 They were very fat and the skins tender. They are one of 

 the best table-birds Mr. Hogers has ever eaten. 



The allied subspecies, which Mr. Rogers collected in dif- 

 ferent parts of north-west Australia, also feeds on the seeds 

 of this same kind of Eucalyptus tree (Wollybutt). 



SER. X. VOL. II. H 



