WHITE-BELLIED PLUMED PIGEON. 
Eggs. “ Clutch, two ; of a dull, creamy-white colour, with rather rough surface and lacking 
the usual glossy surface of pigeons’ eggs ” (Keartland). Dimensions in inches, 
1.05 by .8 (Bamsay). 
Breeding season. June to October (Keartland). 
Under the heading of Geophaps plumifera, Sturt* says : “It was on the 
return of the party from the eastern extremity of Cooper’s Creek, that we first 
saw and procured specimens of this beautiful little bird. Its range was 
entirely confined to about thirty miles along the banks of that creek, and it 
was generally noticed perched on some rock fully exposed to the sun’s rays, 
and evidently taking a pleasure in basking in the tremendous heat. It was 
very wild and took wing on hearing the least noise, but its flight was short 
and rapid, like that of a quail, which bird it resembled in many of its habits. 
In the afternoon this little pigeon was seen running in the grass on the creek 
side, and could hardly be distinguished from a quail. It never perched on 
the trees, and when it dropped after rising from the ground, could seldom be 
flushed again, but ran with such speed through the grass as to elude our search.” 
Mr. G. A. Keartland I met with this species while with the Horn Scientific 
Expedition in Central Australia. He says : “At Crown Point, on the 18th of 
May, Mr. Belt secured the first pair of these birds. They proved to be adults, and 
the female contained a well-developed egg in the oviduct. Subsequently I obtained 
them in numbers at Lawrie’s Creek, Petermann Creek, Hermannburg, and 
in fact wherever rocks and water existed, until we reached Crown Point on the 
return journey on 26th July. On several occasions they made a welcome 
addition to our table, where their beautiful white flesh was much appreciated. 
Their love of rocky country has gained for them their appellation of ‘ Rock 
Pigeons.’ They are strictly ground birds and never perch on trees, but assemble 
in small companies on the rocky sides of the gorges through which we passed, 
where they seemed to enjoy basking in the hot sun. Owing to their colour 
they are not easily seen on the red sand or rocks. They are easily approached, 
and when disturbed rise with a ‘ whirr ’ like a Quail ; but as soon as they are 
well on the wing they gently glide away, giving a tempting shot. At Stokes’ 
Pass, Hugh Edgar, one of our camel drivers, found a nest, if such it might be 
called, containing two young ones nearly able to fly. They were entirely brown, 
but others probably a week older were found, which had developed the white and 
black on the throat and head, which were invisible on the nestlings, as the 
feathers had not formed on these parts. The birds lay their eggs on the ground, 
generally near a tussock of porcupine grass, and place a few loose straws around, 
but in such a careless manner that it scarcely deserves the name of nest. Sub- 
sequently, at Haast’s Bluff, Dr. Stirling found several nests containing eggs 
* Narr. Exp. Centr. Austr., App., p. 43 (1849). 
Rep. Horn. Sc. Exp., p. 101 (1896). 
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