An Australian Bird Book: A Pocket Book for Field UseLeach, John Albert
Science
An Australian Bird Book: A Pocket Book for Field Use
Leach, John Albert
Birds -- Australia
In Order IV. come those well-known birds--the "Cooers," Pigeons and
Doves. The Australian region is the great stronghold of these often
beautiful birds. It is only in this region that members of each of the
five families of living Pigeons are found. Two of the five families
are peculiar to the region, and nearly half the kinds of Pigeons known
are found here. The finest and largest of all Pigeons are the large
Crowned Pigeons of New Guinea. Unfortunately, the heads of these
Pigeons are much in demand for millinery. Would that fashionable women
knew the cruelty and devastation wrought by such fashions!
Amongst the most beautiful of Pigeons are, as Dr. Newton remarked,
the common Bronzewing Pigeons of Australia and Tasmania. The lovely
Fruit-Pigeons of East Australian scrubs are, perhaps, the most
beautiful of all, so it will readily be seen how fortunate we are with
regard to these birds.
The fine large Wonga-Wonga Pigeon is becoming rare. Its flesh is
white, so Gould named it _Leucosarcia_ (white flesh). It has been
proposed to introduce this bird into Europe to breed for table
purposes.
====
[Page 16]
[Illustration: [12] [12^A] [13] [14] [15] [16]]
ORDER IV.--COLUMBIFORMES, PIGEONS, DOVES.
F. 16. TRERONIDAE (8), FRUIT-PIGEONS, 228 sp--159(155)A.,
60(56)O., 1(1)P., 12(12)E.
2
2
=12 Topknot Pigeon=, _Lopholaimus antarcticus_, E.A., T.
(acc.) "Quook-quook."
Stat. c. _thick brushes_ 17
"This noble pigeon;" under silvery-gray; upper dark-gray;
crest rust-red; eyes orange; f., sim. Native fruits.
[Page 17]
F. 17. COLUMBIDAE (2), WOOD-PIGEONS, Passenger-Pigeon,
Rock-Dove, 119 sp.--41(40)A., 25(17)O., 18(10)P., 19(17)E.,
4(0)Nc., 24(20)Nl.
F. 18. PERISTERIDAE (15), GROUND-PIGEONS, Turtle-Doves, 198
sp.--61(55)A., 21(8)O., 10(1)P., 32(30)E., 10(0)Nc., 86(76)Nl.
1
6
=12^A Indian Turtle-Dove=, _Turtur ferrago_, Siberia to Ceylon,
introduced A.
Mig. c. _gardens_, _cities_ 13
Back brown; head gray; broad patch side and back of neck black
spotted white; breast cinnamon; centre tail feathers blackish,
rest tipped white; f., sim. Seeds.
3
5
=13 Ground Dove= (Peaceful), Doo-doo, _Geopelia placida_, A.
(interior).
Stat. r. _grassy_ 8.7
Upper ashy-brown, barred black; chest, hind-neck gray with black
lines; abdomen fawn; side tail feathers tipped white; f., sim.
Small seeds. "Doo-doo."
=14* Diamond Dove= (Little, Turtle), _G. cuneata_, A. (interior).
Stat. r. _grass_ 8.2
Upper light-brown; crown gray; under light-gray; white spots
on wing; side tail tipped white; eye red; f., neck, chest pale
brown. Seeds.
1
6
=15 Little Green Pigeon=, _Chalcophaps chrysochlora_, Mol.,
N. Heb., N. Cal., Lord Howe Is., A. exc. S.A., W.A. Melancholy
bellowing note.
v.r. _dense scrubs_ 9.5
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account