The members of this genus are peculiar to Australia; are more terrestrial in their habits than any other form of pigeons inhabiting that country; incubate on the ground; squat like the partridges when their haunts are intruded upon; inhabit the plains and open downs; have white pectoral muscles; are excellent food for man; run with great rapidity; fly swiftly for short distances; and when disturbed either perch on the larger branches, on which they squat lengthwise, or descend to the ground and run off after the manner of the true _Gallinaceæ_. 429. Geophaps scripta Vol. V. Pl. 67. 430. Geophaps Smithii Vol. V. Pl. 68. 431. Geophaps plumifera, _Gould_ Vol. V. Pl. 69. “Lat. 17° 30′, March 6. I was fortunate enough to kill for the first time _Geophaps plumifera_, a species hitherto only known from a single specimen sent home by Mr. Bynoe of H.M.S. Beagle. The irides are bright orange, the naked skin before and surrounding the eyes bright crimson; the bill dark greenish grey; the scales of the legs and toes greenish grey; skin between the scales light ashy grey. Its flight and actions on the ground are precisely similar to those of the other species of the genus. I only saw the specimen I killed, but afterwards learned that one of my companions had seen a flock rise precisely like _Geophaps scripta_.”—_Gilbert’s Journal._ “It was on the return of my party from the eastern extremity of Cooper’s Creek,” says Captain Sturt, “that we first saw and procured specimens of this beautiful little bird. Its locality was entirely confined to about thirty miles along the banks of the creek in question; it was generally perched on some rock fully exposed to the sun’s rays, and evidently taking a pleasure in basking in the tremendous heat. It was very wild and took wing on hearing the least noise, but its flight was short and rapid. In the afternoon this little pigeon was seen running in the grass on the creek side, and could hardly be distinguished from a quail. It never perched on the trees; when it dropped after rising from the ground, it could seldom be flushed again, but ran with such speed through the grass as to elude our search.” Genus OCYPHAPS, _Gould_. Generic characters. _Head_ furnished with a lengthened occipital crest; _wings_ rather short, the third primary gradually narrowed to a point; _tail_ rather long and much rounded; _tarsi_ as long as the middle toe; the inner _toe_ shorter than the outer.