THE BKONZE-WIN& PIGEON. 



the base of its bill is blue, and the tip red; its feet are 

 purple. Its wings, which are long and powerful, are edged with 

 black, and its tail has a broad black band crossing its centre, 

 and the extremities of the feathers marked with the same 

 colour. Its chief characteristic, however, is a curious crest 

 that surmounts its head. The possession of an occipital crfest 

 is nothing uncommon ; but this bird has, in addition, a fore- 

 head-crest, composed of long soft feathers, of a silver-grey 

 colour, while the crest on the back of the head is russet. 



The Bronze-wing Pigeon of Australia is another " foreigner " 

 worthy of special mention. It is about fifteen inches long. In 

 colour, the forehead is buff, the head is dark brown, changing to 

 deep plum colour at the side's ; the sides of the neck are grey, and 

 there is a white waved line under the eye, and running partly 

 down the chin ; the upper surface is dark brown ; the coverts 

 are marked with bronze-green spots, and the tertiaries have a 

 large oblong shining green spot, edged with buff; the two 

 central feathers are brown, and the rest grey, banded with 

 black near the tip; the breast is purple-brown, fading into 

 grey on the abdomen ; the eyes are reddish-brown, and the leg? 

 and feet crimson. The bronze-wing is a great water-drinker, 

 and, by reason of this, is often of incalculable service to the 

 Australian traveller, in showing' the way to springs and water- 

 holes. Mr. Grould says, " With a knowledge of the habits of 

 this bird, the weary traveller may always perceive when he is 

 in the vicinity of water ; and, however arid the appearance of 

 the country may be, if he observes the bronze-wing wending its 

 way from all quarters to a given point, he may be certain to 

 procure a supply of food and water. When rain has fallen in 

 abundance, and the rivers and lagoons are filled, not only to the 

 brim, but overflowing and spread over the surface of the surround- 

 ing country, the case is materially altered; then the bronze- 

 wing and many other birds are not so easily procured, the 

 abundant supply of the element so requisite to their existence 

 rendering it no longer necessary that they should brave every 

 danger in procuring it." -The same clever and interesting 

 author and naturalist relates, that in the droughty summer of 

 1839-40, when encamped at the northern extremity of the 

 Brezi range, his tent was pitched near a sort of natural basin 

 in the rock, and which stOl contained a scanty quantity of 

 water from last season's rains ; this water, the natives assured 

 Mr. Grould, was the only supply for several miles round, and 

 so the traveller speedily found ; for in the evening, aiid despite 



