Ground and Nicobar Pigeons. 159 



Wonga-Wonga Pigeon {Leucosarcia picata). 



The female of my pair stood higher from the ground than the 

 male, and when roosting did not lean forward at an angle, with the 

 tail pointed obliquely upwards and lifting rhythmically up and down 

 (I believe this was intended as an invitation to the hen bird *). Her 

 forehead is not of so pure a white, and is more or less stained with 

 brown at the back. The white bands extending from the shoulders 

 across the sides of the breast were broader in my hen bird than in 

 the cock, and the spots on the under parts were more numerous, 

 and frequently divided into pairs, between which the feather-shaf fc 

 passed ; this last character is, I think, more likely to be variable 

 than the others which J have mentioned. 



Blue-headed Pigeon (Starnoenas cyanocephala). 



Of this beautiful species the Natural History Museum only 

 possesses one stuffed example from Cuba and one skin labelled 

 "W. Indies," received from the Zoological Society's Gardens. 

 They are probably both males, and only that sex is described in the 

 Museum Catalogue. I think it likely that the female would be a 

 trifle smaller, and duller in all her colours. 



Subfamily Calcenadinse. 



This group comprises the handsome Nicobar Island Pigeon and 

 the smaller Pelew Island Pigeon, curious Vulturine-looking birds 

 which seem to exhibit some relationship to the Guinea-fowls. 



Nicobar Pigeon (Calmnas nicobarica). 



The female is smaller than the male, and does not sit so erect on 

 the perch ; her bill, when viewed in profile, is seen to be much 

 more slender, and the frontal knob at the base of the upper 

 mandible is small and little developed ; her plumage above is less 

 varied with metallic golden copper, and below shows rather less of the 

 gleaming emerald green of the cock bird ; the hackle feathers from 

 the back of the neck are shorter. 



The families Gouridce (or Crown Pigeons) and Bidunculidce (or 

 little Dodos) can hardly be regarded as cage-birds. Of the former, 

 visitors to our Gardens will be familiar with two species — Goura 

 coronata and G. victories, majestic-looking birds from two to three 

 feet long, strutting about their aviaries and looking as unlike an 

 ordinary Dove as possible. Of the latter, the only representative is 

 the Tooth-billed Pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris), an extremely 

 rarely imported bird, a foot long, of which the Museum possesses no 

 skin sexed as a female. The sexes are said to be alike, but there is 



* I feel sure of this now, as I have seen the cock Australian Green-winged 

 Dove do the same thing before pursuing his mate. 



