Order COLUMBIFOKMES.] 



[Family TREBONIDiE. 



HEMIPHAGA NOY^E-ZEAL AN DIM. 



(NEW ZEALAND PIGEON.) 



Carpophaga novae-zealandiae Latham ; Buller, Birds of New Zealand, vol. i., p. 229. 



" The most perfect figure of a beautiful bird that I ever saw in any work." That was Sir Kichard 

 Owen's published commentary on Mr. Keuleman's plate of this Pigeon in my last edition. The 

 learned Professor was accustomed to say what he honestly believed ; and I think in this instance 

 the encomium was well merited. Some other Pigeons have more brilliant colours, but taking- 

 altogether into consideration its large size, its beautiful symmetry, and its handsome plumage 

 the New Zealand bird is, I think, without its peer in the large group of fruit-eating Pigeons. 



A young one that came into my possession is smaller than ordinary birds, with somewhat 

 duller bronze plumage, and it has the white of the under parts largely mixed with delicate French- 

 grey, especially on the sides of the body and under tail-coverts, the large feathers among the latter 

 being entirely of that colour ; abdomen and under tail-coverts creamy instead of white ; lining of 

 wings entirely French-grey. 



It is very regrettable to see how scarce this fine Wood-pigeon is becoming in all the settled 

 districts. Even as late as 1880 it was extremely abundant in the Forty-mile Bush. I find the 

 following entry in my diary for April of that year :— The Pigeon is now feeding on koroi, the 

 small red berry of the kahikatea, which is exceptionally abundant this year, the trees by the 

 roadside as we passed through the Forty-mile Bush having a russet hue from the abundance of 

 the ripe fruit. The miro berry comes in next month, and the whanake early in June. The pate 

 (called " patete " by the Ngatikahungunu, and "kotete " by the Ngatiraukawa) is now in fruit, the 

 long spikes or drupes of berries hanging in conspicuous clusters along the edge of the forest. 

 This, too, is a favourite food of the Wood-pigeon at this season. The houhou, which has clusters 

 of black berries, like the English elder-bush, contributes likewise to the bountiful bill of fare ; so 

 also does the karamu (Coprosma lucidd), and a much larger kind, called 'Baurekau' by the natives, 

 producing a brighter-red berry, and now in full bearing. The Tui and the Kaka also regale 

 themselves at this season on these sweet berries. 



The flight of the Wood-pigeon is rapid and direct at first, then oblique and somewhat 

 tumbling ; that is to say, the bird turns over first on one side, then on the other, in a very 

 measured manner. The tail is partially spread during flight. 



Many beautiful varieties of this fine Wood-pigeon have been recorded from time to time, but 

 there is a specimen in the Colonial Museum of which no description has yet been published. In 

 this bird the plumage of the head, neck, breast, and mantle is largely varied with pure white, 

 which predominates on the neck, the normal bronzy plumage shining out in the midst of it, 

 especially on the breast, with a very pretty effect ; there are also a few scattered white feathers on 

 the wings and tail. This handsome bird was obtained at Eketahuna, and presented to the Museum 

 by Mr. B. B. Greville. 



Two beautiful specimens were obtained some years ago by Mr. C. J. Bobinson, of the Upper 

 Hutt, and are now in my son's collection. One of these, shot by him on a miro tree at the summit 

 of the western range, opposite Wallaceville, in June, 1892, has the head, neck, and breast, and the 

 upper surface generally dull yellowish-brown, shaded with darker ; the primaries and tail-feathers 



