COLUJU!^.- 
-BlliDS. 
JOLUMB/IO. 
392 
tambourine. It is of a brown colour above, and nearly 
white beneath ; its forehead is also white, and the 
greater wing-coverts exhibit three or four spots of 
greenish-black. Its length is about nine inches. 
THE JAMAICA GROUND-DOVE {Peristera jamaicen- 
sifi), which, with several other nearly allied species, is 
generally distributed in South America and the West 
Indian islands, is about twelve indies in length, and is 
of a pale brown colour, with an orange tinge above, 
and white, wilh a reddish tint beneath. The sides and 
back of the neck are wine red, with lilac and golden- 
green reflections. This bird inhabits the woods, where 
it runs upon the ground with great swiftness, and roosts 
in thick bushes. 
THE PASSERINE GROUND-DOVE {Chammpelia pas- 
serina), a member of a genus which is peculiar to 
America, in almost all parts of which the species are 
distributed, is found not only in the West Indies, but 
also in the southern states of North America, where, 
however, it is a bird of passage. It is a very small 
species, measuring little more than six inches in length ; 
its colour is a pale ashy-brown above, and pale reddish- 
brown beneath. These birds frequent the open fields 
and plantations, where they fly in small flocks, and feed 
upon rice and other seeds. 
THE BRONZE-WINGED PIGEON (Phaps chalcoptera), 
an inhabitant of almost all parts of Australia, is about 
the size of a small pigeon, and is of a grayish-brown 
colour, with a large spot of brilliant coppeiy bronze on 
each feather of the wing-coverts; the forehead is buff, or 
buffy white, and there is a large white streak under each 
eye. Unlike the preceding species, this bird possesses 
great powers of flight, an endowment which is necessary 
to it in the drier parts of Australia, to enable it to visit 
the scattered supplies of water. It, nevertheless, feeds 
entirely on the ground, and often frequents the stubble- 
fields in great abundance, when it may be easily shot. 
The flesh is said to be excellent. 
THE PARTRIDGE BRONZE- WING ( Geophaps scripta), 
a native of Southern Australia, is likewise celebrated 
by Mr. Gould for its gastronomic qttalities. It is about 
the size, and has verj' much of the appearance and 
gait of a partridge ; its general colour is light brown, 
but the chin and sides of the head are adorned with 
snow-white patches, separated by spaces of deep black ; 
the flanks are white, and several of the greater wing- 
coverts exhibit spots of metallic greenish-pui ple. This 
bird is commonly seen in small parties or coveys, and 
is so tame that the bullock-drivers not unfrequently 
kill it with their whips. It feeds on the ground upon 
the seeds of grasses and other plants, and also lays its 
two white eggs upon the bare ground. When disturbed 
it flies off exactl}' in the same manner as a partridge, 
but generally directs its course to the nearest tree, 
when, alighting upon a horizontal limb, and placing 
itself in the direction of the axis of the branch, it will 
sit so closely that it is with difficulty distinguished or 
driven off. Several nearly allied species are met with 
in dilferent parts of Australia. 
THE CRESTED PIGEON {Ocyphaps Jophotes), 
is also related to the preceding species, is a most elegant 
little dove which inhabits the interior of the Australian 
continent. It is about ten inches long ; the head, neck, 
and lower surface are of a delicate gray colour ; the 
back is light olive-brown ; the lesser wing-coverts 
are light-brown, with a transverse black bar on each 
feather, and the greater wing-coverts, shining bronzed 
green, margined with white; the quills are dark-brown, 
with white edges. But the distinguishing characteristic 
of this pigeon consists in an elegant black crest, much 
resembling that of our native lapwing, which springs 
from the back of the head, measures about two inches 
and a half in length, and gradually tapers to a point. 
The Crested Pigeon is generally met with in swampy 
districts ; it possesses great powers of flight, and usually 
congregates in considerable flocks, especially when 
visiting the water to drink. 
DIDUNCULINE PIGEONS. 
This group includes only a single species — 
THE DIDUNCULUS {Didunculus strigirostris), which, 
however, presents the' most singular combination of 
characters, and is further remarkable as being the 
nearest living ally of the extinct Dodo. In this curious 
bird the bill is large and strong ; the upper mandible 
is convex, and strongly hooked at the tip, whilst the 
lower mandible is abruptly truncated at the apex, and 
armed on each side with three strong teeth. The 
basal portion of the sides of the upper mandible is 
covered with a membrane, in which the elongated and 
oblique nostrils are pierced ; the wings are tolerably 
long ; the tarsi are stout, and the toes long, and furnished 
with strong claws. The bird is rather larger than our 
common partridge ; it has the head, neck, and breast of 
a glossy greenish-black, and the remainder of its plu- 
mage deep chestnut; the bill and the naked skin 
surrounding the eyes are bright orange, and the feet 
are flesh colour. 
This singular bird inhabits the Navigator’s Islands; 
it is described as dwelling princi])ally upon the branclics 
of trees, and feeding upon berries and fruits. It flies 
well, and is said to breed among the rocks in the inte- 
rior of the islands. The chief interest attaching to the 
Uinunculus is, however, to be found in its near approach, 
especially in the form of the bill, to that most remark 
able extinct bird, the Dodo of the IMauritius, a resem- 
blance which, indeed, probably furnished the first 
inducement to Messrs. Strickland and Melville to place 
the latter amongst the Columbine birds. 
DODOS. 
TKE, HQ'DQ {Didus inept us) — fig. 123. This singular 
bird, which was an inhabitant of the island of Mauritius 
at the time of its discovery in the year 1598, and was 
subsequently brought alive to Europe on several occa- 
sions by the Dutch navigators, is now known as to its 
external appearance only from a few juctures into 
which it was introduced by the Dutch painters of the 
beginning of the seventeenth century. The only parts 
of its structure still to be found in Europe consist of 
two heads, a foot, a few feathers, and some of its bones, 
wliich are scattered about in various museums in Eng- 
land and on the continent. 
From the pictures above mentioned, and the descrip- 
