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 grey; 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-black, crossed by three indistinct bands of grey; 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, which are light grey, crossed by a broad band of black near the tip; under tail-coverts black; apical half of the bill blood-red, basal half plum-colour; feet dull reddish plum-colour; orbits dark grey; eyelash lilac-red; irides lilaceous 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 vinaceous tint; 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 band of black; and the soft parts similar, but less brilliant than in the male.
The figures in the accompanying Plate were taken from specimens killed in New South Wales, and are of the natural size.
LEUCOSARCIA PICATA.
J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith. C. Hullmandel Imp.
LEUCOSARCIA PICATA.
Wonga-wonga.
Columba picata, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lix.—Wagl. Syst. Av. Columba, sp. 42.