pjlJEOPELIA TRANQUILLA, Gould.
';'Pe’aceful' Dove.
f@e.0eliaplacida, Part. YTT. p.
country northward from New Sggfii Wales is inhabited by considerable numbers of this
pretty little Dove, JM^Has? tipt yet been met with either“ i^ f e u p a g i Or" Western Australia. It was very
abundant on the Namoi, particularly on the lower part of that river ; and that its range will extend over a
of t^e ipferijot, is more tban probable.
A bird precisely similar in markings, but of a smaller size, is very abundant at Port Essington, and the
two^birds^ayprove.tobe mere varieties of each other; at fee*sameHmiK. as so great a variation in size
r'arply^if state- of - nature. I have for the present considered it to be a distinct species, and
assign^dMi iif.the nppe^ojF Geopelia plaeid&l ;i^%^^®ly one-third less than the jffilh e re represented, but
as there is not the slightest difference in the markings, it will not be necessary for me to give a figure of it.
The Bird found in the neighbourhood of the Lower Namoi was chiefly observed on thegrouhd, feeding on
*flie seeds of the various kinds of plants that grow under the shelter of the thinly-timbered forests bordering
the plains. It was frequently seen in flocks, and was equally as tame as the Geopelia cuneata.
The Port Essington bird is'aburidantly and equally distributed over all parts of the peninsula and the
neighbouring inlands; its favourite haunts being moist meadows or the grassy banks of small streams, and
grass-seeds its principal food. It is usually met with in flocks 0$ fromrfwenty to fifty in' number, which
when disturbed generally fly off to the nearest tree ; pn;.alighting they jerk the tail ~yery erect, and utter
their slowly-repeated and monotonous double note ; at other times they coo' very faintly, after the manner
of the otherimember§b£tbe^family.
It is said to make a slight nest in a hollow among the grass near the ground;, an^tojpyttwqi eggs,
observable difference between the sexes is the smaller size of the female.
Face and throat grey ; ^QCciputi;]b^ck and wings asbyvbrdwn, each feather with a band of deep velvety
black at the extremity; spurious wings and primaries dark brown; under surface of the shoulders chest-
nut ; chest, sides and back of the neck grey, Crossed by numerous narrow bands of black; abdomen and
flanks vinous; four central tail-feathers ashy;brown, the remainder black largely'tipped .with white; irides
light ash-grey; bill and orbits bright greyish blue, becoming muqh pal|rilblfbrp and behind the eye; frontal
scales of the tarsi and feet dark greenish g r e ^ ^ f e ^ ^ ^ p ^ ^ ^ ^ e legs apd feet reddish flesh-colour.
The Plate represents tip? tlvo sexes o f tbpmatural size..y^