MAGROPYGIA PHASIANELLA.
Pheasant-tailed Pigeon.
Columba Ph a simella, £ em ig . g l j
F rom what I could personally observe d ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ d ^ n c e in New South Wales, the Pheasant-tailed Pigeon
resoits,:eMM^pij?the brushes, a s |^ ^ p ^ ^ a n c e did I ever meet with it in the open parts of the country,
^ ^ ft-H law a rra to Moreton Bay it stationary species. It is;a fine* showy bird in a state of
nature and ^exhibits itself to great advantage when it rises from the ground to the trees, with its large and
-long tail spread to its greatest extent. While traversing the brushes I have frequently^copie upon this bird
quite' unawares, whem'bpsily engaged searehing^^Hje ground for fallen seeds andfberries. Rarely were
morp than foup^o^^ ^ ^cdU^Gfed^together ~at pnejliffig, and most frequently, it oe^n^pd singly or in pairs.
„Up to the p re sen tp i^^ ^ ^M M ed g eM oM th e " extent of habitat e n jo y e d ^ ^ ^ ^ ® r p is very limited 5 I
have never myself seeni j ^ ^ ^ ^ a c o U ^ ^ ^ ^ b u t those made n i^ ew South Wales; other nearly allied
species are foimj^*^^^^ilid?J4niboma, and doubtless there are>many others yet to be discovered, since
the1reclusphabits- oPthe birds forming the present genus, theyfmay, He very;easily overlooked. As its
to imagine, it spends m u ^ f y w h i l e its broad and
voluminous'taiKequally indicates that this organ is displayed to. the greatest advantage amongst the branches,
and in both instances such is really the case; when flushed from- the grbuhdAB the depths of the forest it
merely flies to the branch of some low shrub-like tree, and th e r e - ^ ^ lu ^ ^ if e nittle appearance of fear.
The sexes are precisely similar in colour and ne‘^dvfeS^m sizedissec tion, in fact, is necessary to distin-
gui sh th em. “ _
Its note is;-loud, mournful and monotonous.
General plumage rich rusty brown, becoming of a dark brown op the wings ; wing-coverts margined with
rusty’brown; ear-coverts crossed by-marrow bars of black; sides and back of the neck glossed with bronzy
purple; lateral tailrfeathers crossed near' the tip by'a^broad band of black, beyond which the brown colour
is paler than at the ba&^-^billF^^k olive-brown, mealy at the base; irides blue, with an outer circle of
scarlet; orbits mealy bluish lilac,; feet pink-red.