90 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
12. Brush Bronze-wing Pigeon Phaps elegans Temminck 
Phaps —Gk, phaps, pigeon: el'-e-gans—L., elegans, handsome. 
distribution. Southern Australia and Tasmania. 
notes. Usually in pairs, inhabiting chiefly the scrub and heath-lands 
of the coastal districts. It is usually observed on the ground, and when 
flushed, rarely perches in a tree, but mostly alights on the ground, 
after rapidly flying a short distance. Its call is a low mournful "Coo”, 
generally uttered towards evening. Food: seeds of grasses and her¬ 
baceous plants; also native fruits and berries, mostly procured on 
the ground. 
nest. An open, slightly cup-shaped structure, composed of sticks and 
twigs. Placed either in a thick bush or in the branches of a fallen 
tree, frequently on the ground in the shelter of a bush or grass-tree. 
eggs. Generally two, pure white. Breeding-season: usually October 
to January. 
13. Bronze-wing Pigeon Phaps chalcoptera Latham 
chal-cop'-tcr-a—G k, chalcos, bronze; Gk, pteron, wing. 
distribution. Australia generally, and Tasmania. 
notes. Usually in pairs, frequenting open forest and scrub-lands. 
It is generally observed on the ground, and when flushed, rises with a 
loud whirring noise, flies rapidly for a short distance, and then alights 
on a branch of a tree. Often it allows one to approach quite near before 
flying, relying on its protective colouring to enable it to escape 
detection. Its call is a low mournful "Oom” repeated many times. 
Food: seeds of grasses and herbaceous plants, and native fruits and 
berries, mostly procured on the ground. 
nest. An open, slightly cup-shaped structure, composed of sticks 
and twigs; some nests are only frail structures, others are compactly 
built. Usually placed in the fork of a horizontal branch of a tree or 
bush, at heights up to 30 feet from the ground. 
eggs. Usually two, pure white. Breeding-season: generally October 
to January. 
14. Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca Latham 
Ltuc'-o-sar'-ci-a— Gk, leucos, white; Gk, sarx, sarcos, flesh: me/'-an-o- 
leuf-a-G k, melas (melanos ), black; Gk, leucos, white. 
distribution. Queensland, eastern New South Wales, and eastern 
Victoria; accidental tc* Tasmania. 
notes. Also called Wonga-wonga. Usually singly or in pairs, in¬ 
habiting the big scrubs and brushes, where it is mostly observed on 
the ground. When flushed, it rises with a loud clapping noise of the 
wings and flies a short distance away before alighting. Generally it 
alights on a horizontal limb, where it remains quite motionless with 
its back towards the observer, relying on its coloration to escape 
detection. It often adopts the same motionless attitude when one 
