0HALCOPHAPS CHRYSOCHLORA.
Little Green Pigeon.
Tourterelle de Java, Buff. PI, Enl'. 177 ?
Çolumka Javanica, Auçtorum ?
Colonie Turvertr T m m ^ Pig-, fol. 2nd fam. pl. 26. p. 62—Ib. Pig.et Gall., tom. ii. pp. 252 and 468.
Cohmba chrysochlora, Wagl. Syst. Av. Columba,
Thebe ar^ffpr my opinion, several closely allied species ..of this form, distributed oyer Australia and the
islands of Java, Sumatra, &c., whose specific characters have never been accurately defined ; I am inclined
to consider the Javanese,, birdf as* distinct from that there figured, and t% ,^ird inhabiting the northern
coast of Australia, of which I have pniy seen one or two examples, as distinct from Both. The principal
difference that I, have yet observed, in. the two. species inhabiting Australia, is that the one from the north
coast has the bill of much greater length than that from New South Wales ; a more minute comparison,
however, is necessary to apcertain or not.
The Little Green Pigeon is sparingly dispersed in all the brushes of New South Wales, both those clothing
the mountain ranges as well as those near the coast; how far it njay proceed northwards has not yet been
ascertained, ' ^ e ib ja s ^ lidikmcts are the localities peculiarly adapted to if, and these I.believe it never
leaves for the more open parts piptljje| country; hence it is but little knowii tp, and seldom seen by, the
colonists, a circumstance the more to,, be regretted, as .the beauty and brilliancy of its, plumage and the
neatness of its form render it one of the most ipleasmg.v^|^|]:,torbehold that occur in the Australian
forests. When flushed, it flies very quickly through the scrub, but to: no great distance, and readily eludes
pursuit by pitching suddenly to the; ground, and remaining s‘p quiet that it can rarely be discovered.
I never met with its nest, nor could I obtain, either from the natives or settlers, any particulars respecting
its nidification.
Its chief food during one season of the year is the seeds of the stiff wiry grass figured in;. the Plate, which
was gathered at Illawarra.
The sexes differ considerably in colour, and the female is somewhat .smaller than her mate.
The male has the crown of the head, face and all the under surface deep vinaceous; nape and back of the
neck dark g re y ; edge of the shoulder snow-white; centre of the back, wing-coverts and outer webs of the
tertiaries shining greenish copper-colour; rump and upper tail-coverts slaty-b]ack, crossed by three indistinct
bands of g re y ; primaries and secondaries brown, largely margined with ferruginous; on the base of
their inner webs; tail black, except the two outer feathers on each side, wMph |r e light grey, crossed by a
broad band of black near the tip ; under tail-coverts black; apical half of th;£,|)i|l blood-red, basal half plum-
cplour 1 feet dull reddish plum-colour; orbits dark grey; eyelash Hlac-ted^ irjcje§ lilaeepi|| lead-colour.
The female has the head and neck dark cinnamon-brown, approaching to chocolate; the wing-coverts
much more green than in the male; face and all the under surface cinnamon-brown, with merely a wash on
the breast of the viuaceQUStint; upper tail-coverts brown; four centre tail-feathers brown ; the two next on
each side chestnut-brown, and the outer one on each side grey; all but the four middle ones crossed near
the tip with a broad baud of black; and the soft parts similar, but less bril]iant th^p inAlle male.
The figures in the accompanying Plate were taken from specimens killed in New South Wales, and are of
the natural size.