264



Mr. D. Seth-Smith,



For the history of Phcips elegans in its native wilds we

must turn to the works of the great John Gould and Mr. A. J.

Campbell. The former writes: “This species is neither so

plentiful nor so widely distributed as the Common Bronzewing

(.Phaps chalcoptera ) ; it is, however, tolerably abundant in

Tasmania, the islands in Bass’s Straits, and the whole of the

southern portion of the Australian Continent, from the Swan

River on the west to Moreton Bay on the east. In Tasmania it

is very numerous, from Circular Head to the north-eastern

corner of the island. It affects the most scrubby localities,

giving preference to such as are low and swampy ; and I have

never seen it perch on the branches of trees. When flushed, it

rises very quickly with a loud burring noise similar to that made

by the rising of a Partridge. The shortness of its wings and

tail, the extreme depth of its pectoral muscle, render its

appearance more plump and round than the generality of

Pigeons. It is a very difficult bird to shoot, from its inhabiting

the denser part of the scrub, from which it is not easily driven.

It flies but little, rarely for a greater distance than to cross a

gully or top a ridge before it again abruptly descends into the

scrub.


“ Its food consists of seeds and berries of various kinds,

particularly in Tasmania of a plant called Boobyaller.


“ I believe it never migrates, but merely removes from

one locality to another, as food may be more or less abundant.


“ Its note, more lengthened than that of the Common

Bronzewing, is a low and mournful strain, and is more often

repeated towards the close of the evening than at any other


time.On a comparison of this species with the Phaps


chalcoptera , the two birds will be found to differ materially

in structure ; the wings of the present species being shorter,

and the tail comprising a smaller number of feathers, than that

of the other.”


It is extremely strange that so excellent an observer as

Gould, who must have come across many of these birds, should

state that “ the sexes differ so little in colouring of their plumage

that dissection is requisite to distinguish them,” for not only is



