the sharp flap of their wings in rising, alone told us we had missed our game.  The natives of the Murray set nets across any gully down which they fly to water on the banks of the Murray, and so catch them in great numbers.  The Bronze-wing is strong in his flight, and is a plump bird, and capital to eat.  Its general colour is brown lightly mottled, it has a dirty-white crown, and the wing feathers are a beautiful bronze.

97.  Phaps elegans.—­Small Brush Bronze-wing.

This is much smaller than the above, and not so common.  It inhabits close brushes, and is flushed like a woodcock, there seldom being more than two together.  Its plumage is darker than Phaps chalcoptera, nor is there any white about it except on the crown of the head, the secondary wing feathers being of a bronze colour, without any shade of blue and green, so prominent in the first described of these birds.

98.  Phaps HISTRIONICA, Gould.—­The Harlequin Bronze-wing.

This beautiful pigeon is an inhabitant of the interior.  Its range was between the parallels of 31 1/2 degrees and 26 degrees, but it was never seen to the south of Stanley’s Barrier Range, if I except a solitary wanderer on the banks of the Murray.  These birds lay their eggs in February, depositing them under any low bush in the middle of open plains.  In the end of March and the beginning of April, they collect in large flats and live on the seed of the rice-grass, which the natives also collect for food.  During the short period this harvest lasts, the flavour of these pigeons is most delicious, but at other times it is indifferent.  They feed on the open plains, and come to water at sunset, but like the Bronze-wing only wet the bill.  It is astonishing indeed that so small a quantity as a bare mouthful should be sufficient to quench their thirst in the burning deserts they inhabit.  They left us in the beginning of May, and I think migrated to the N.E., for the farther we went to the westward the fewer did we see of them.  This bird has a white and black head, the crown being white, and its back is a rusty brown, the long feathers of the wings of a slate colour, with a white spot at the end of each as well as at the end of the tail feathers; the belly being a beautiful deep slate colour.  See page 83, vol.  II.

99.  Geophaps plumifera, Gould.

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 locality 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 resembles in many of its habits.  In the