90 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
12. Brush Bronze-wing Pigeon Phaps elegans Temminclc 
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,” gener¬ 
ally uttered towards evening. Food: seeds of grasses and herbaceous 
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 whiite. Breeding-season: usuallv October 
to January. 
13. Bronze-wing Pigeon Phaps chalcoptera Latham 
clial-cop'-ter-a —Gk, chalcos, bronze; Gk, pteron, wing. 
Distribution .—Australia generally, and Tasmania. 
Aq^.— Usually J n pairS) f req uenting 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 
bianch of a tree. Often it allows one to approach quite near before 
Tea’ll” yin F ° n ltS pr ° l< : c ^ ve coIouri «g to enable it to escape detection. 
s call is a low mournful “Coo” but louder than the note of the Brush 
Bronze-wing Pigeon. 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 
to January! USUaUy tW °’ PUrC white ' breeding-season: generally October 
14._ Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca Latham 
ieuc'-a-- Uk, a , “.feOuS) ' Wad!; Gk, ZZos?- '' 
Victoria; accidental?oSsmrnia. eaStern XCW S ° Uth WaIes - and eastern 
habitXgThrWg ' °scmbfaSruth W es nga ; Us . Ua . ,ly sin ^ or in pairs, in- 
ground. When flushed it rises with '” OStly observed 011 tIie 
and flies a short distant away before alichtinJ'^r"" n « ise . of , the ™ngs 
horizontal limb, where it remains GencraUy alights on a 
the observer, relying on its coloration in lon f ss Wlt h its back towards 
the same motionless attitude when ohp escape dete ction. It often adopts 
ne comes across it suddenly while it 
