CARPOPHAGA LEUCOMELA.
White-headed Fruit Pigeon.
I * - Lul/lsSft,
Columha Imcomelma, SgJJpjjrst Av., parȣ,Coltefl>SSSm 66i.
Columba Norfolciensis, I.ath^IpdWOj^BijB ^ i^ lx, ?'
''^Norfolk P i g * J uh r fj» n ^® jp PU 3 s5 l 13 Al11 P- 374 ?—Ib. Gen. lli*i vol,viji.'p. 30 ?
q p jR g f e , vast primmvalforestsi.cfJJJew South Wales to which
■the oplowsts hafe aM ® l: th ^ ^ a c ^ B r u ^ h e s . M ia n d it verylpiMjms gmMfcsquito and the other low
j ^ l d s in ir the, w e l^ i ^ 'th e s ^ ^ h g ^ s s '^ f f e e Liverpool range; I believe
that it breeds In lyit.h' rhnsfyVirstricts :' and; that itjaever quits thesel'iijciiriaiit-forests is the more probable,
as ajyibmtifpi suppK. of fruits and ferries isjftiruishulfPhy^ihi^pnou1.* affocu s of trees ;at*e^ery season .of
■ he vB^.^^wUd-^ffffih^M ^ ^ t . J u r i ill „'r>p. MijisliTine 'louaderabh<porJi(jij of its food- I have
observed it sureeiiin? aUMpme forests ip. flo’ukg^pf from ten to fifty in number, and often seen it
■ihipin'ptjsiS I t feeds on th^wiUhfe-whose sIe n t o h rm e f a .^ | o jh ld o u » byjts weight, particularly
when,i^)0l}ngs to the extremej/end M,thje.jq>ray to ^ ^toiihgyhe s^ M 8m|iBSt fruit-P jg, this mode of clinging
and iir inadyof itsipdtans it faj^moreiresembles tha larger HLoney-eaters and Parrots than the Pigeons; an
examination mci^t&erjdfi ttte stegeterg.of the foot ^ ^ ry p ic ^V ttipophagava\\^w tW i t deviates from that
Kgeons", and that i t is |i^i4ifMUy^da^^l^jr>tjie duties tipis i^hmjg^ti^perform I have never
seem, this f era* tw ^ ^ ^ ^ t e r / ^ ^ h e l f o r m o |i^ .f o a t is a s little adapted for
terrestrial p riS e llio p I J g f p s sdmirabli gp.astrmst.ed' far use: arpongithe smaller branches of the trees.
The powers of flight o g jfe fe g c ie s are-very g g e a ti^ ^ lum in ffu a ^ g - e n i||h j! g if to pass from one part
of the forest to another, or to d#Reig|a^omBaratively space of A0«1“ ™»y
quietly Ilp ls e rv e d passing p | p | | | | 2 | | 5 f the trees'; Jo&alrmg aJocahtythey have exhausted ofitssupplies
and in search of another wher,e fogg is iftQre- abundant. U T > Sg j|g |5 t!
The nest of this sp e d e ^ iiJs|4ha$ of the other .f^n^hjd'tci 'is a<sli§ht flat structure formed oPsmall sticks
and twigs j the eggs are frequ^to-'QBly one, and neve^flao'ce than tw ^ ffi^M ^ g h lo fj^ jjje yyl^te..
The sexes maybe distinguished by the si^ lle r s z e ] | p t o female, S P f ^ ^ ^ o l p u r ? being less strongly
• contrasted than those of her mate, the yelfevrisli w % o f^h e head and breast b t e ^ m ^ o j o ^ g darker
• colouring of the other parts. ' «a „ ,
The male has the head, neck and p a r t i c % l y .Q * ^ ^ n ; all the upper
surface' wings B r a H black r « $ h e feathers R back, rito # Jn d lesser wmg-coverts bordered
: ? 3 b bronzy-purple in some, and greenish purple p o t h e r s ; flanks slatceeloqr;. dingy-buff; bill
for two-thirds from the base beautiful piuk-reif, covered with a mealy substancq ^ tip of. the hill yellowish
white tinged with lilac; irides large and o fp ig h y e ftow isb in.some specimens, reddish orange in
others; naked skin of the! orbits mealypink-ted ;-£e>t;bufl| w ithK |c a le u jjp f-rftfa n d the nail» white.
The figures are of the natural size, and represent the bird feeding. «„nUM^of the fruits of the brushes
called wild cherry by tbe-odlonjsts.