250 
Fam. COLUMBINE. — The New-Zealand representative of this group is perhaps the finest of 
the whole. It is scarcely inferior in size to Carpophaga gale at a of the Marquesas Islands, fully 
as large as C. goliath of the Isle of Pines, larger than C. concinna of the Moluccas, and far 
more beautiful in plumage than all three of them. The Nicobar Pigeon ( Caloenas nicobanca), 
from the Louisiade Archipelago, is certainly more brilliant, but it is much inferior to our bird in 
size. The largest Wood-Pigeon in Australia, the Wongawonga ( Leucosarcia picata), is not to be 
compared with the New-Zealand bird. 
The genus Carpophaga is confined to the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand ; 
the nearest ally of our bird being probably Carpophaga forsteri of the Celebes, on the western 
limit of the Austro- Malayan subregion. 
In my account of the species I have mentioned (at p. 234) the immense numbers that are 
annually killed without any appreciable effect on their abundance, in suitable localities, on the 
recurrence of each season. In further illustration of this I may add that in a small area of bush 
between Nukumaru and Weraroa, places of historic interest in connection with the Maori war, four 
young settlers shot upwards of 400 in the course of two days ! 
Nest of Xenicus gilviventris (four-fifths natural size). See page 243. 
