26 THE BIEDS OF AUSTRALIA 



The White-headed Fruit Pigeon. 



Golumba leucomela. 



Eaatern Queensland and New South Wales. 



Male: Head, neck, breast and abdomen white, washed with buff; 

 upper surface, wings and tail slate-black; all the feathers of the back 

 and lower wing coverts edged with purple; flanks alate-coloured ; irides 

 large, yellowish -hazel; naked skin of orbits pink-red. Total length 16 

 inches, wing 9.3, tail 6, bill 0.8, tarsus 0.95. 



Nest a frail structure, about four inches across, placed near 

 the end of a bough; one egg is laid, white in colour, and 

 measures 1.41 x .97 inch. 



The Pheasant Pigeon. 



Macropygia phasianella. 



Eastern New South Wales, Queensland, and Northern Territory. 



General colour chestnut-brown, below cinnamon-rufous; occiput and 

 hind neck metallic amethyst; narrow dark bars on breast; tail rufous- 

 brown; iris blue with an outer edge of scarlet; feet red. Total length 

 about 17 inches, wing 7.7, tail 8.7, bill 0.68, tarsus 1. 



Nest a fairly strong structure of twigs, built either on 

 branches or on birds '-nest ferns. The two eggs are of a very 

 faint cream colour, and measure 1.37 x .96 inch. 



Family Peristeridce. 

 Tarsus not shorter than the middle toe. Tail with 12-20 

 feathers. Ground Pigeons. 



Sub-family Oeopeliince. 

 No metallic spots on the wings. Size small. Tail rather 

 long, of 12 or 14 feathers. 



Genus Geopelia. 

 Tail of 14 feathers. First primary attenuated at the tip. 



The Barred-shouldered Dove. 



Geopelia humeralis. 

 Southern New Guinea and Australia, except south-west 

 Head neck, and upper breast grey; occiput, back, wing-coverts, and 

 upper tail-coverts pale brown; back of neck rufous; every feather nf 

 upper surface edged at the end with black; lower breast pale vinous 



