Eyes surrounded with a large naked space of a bright reddish orange colour; head and all the upper surface olive-brown; throat white, the tips of the last feathers grey, forming a surrounding margin of that colour; on the cheeks a large brownish grey spot, nearly insulated by the large space of the eyes being surrounded by a narrow band of white, the feathers of which are tipped with black; chest reddish brown; on the centre of the breast a few of the feathers are clear grey, margined at the tip with black; breast and abdomen purplish olive-brown; flanks white; lower part of the abdomen and vent buff; primaries and secondaries dark brown, margined with pale brown; the outer webs of the three or four last secondaries, and one or two greater coverts for two-thirds of their length from the base rich purple with greenish wavy reflexions; two centre tail-feathers olive-brown, the remainder deep slate-grey at base and black at the extremity; under tail-coverts dark brown margined with light brown; irides of three colours, first a narrow ring of red next the pupil, then a broader ring of pure white, and lastly a narrow one of grey; bill blackish grey; legs and feet bluish grey; back of the tarsi and inner side of the feet yellowish grey.
The figures are those of a male and female of the natural size.
GEOPHAPS PLUMIFERA: Gould.
J. Gould and H.C. Richter lithog. C. Hullmandel Imp.
GEOPHAPS PLUMIFERA, Gould.
Plumed Partridge Bronze-wing.
Geophaps plumifera, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., February 8, 1842.
This rare and highly interesting species of Pigeon was sent me by my friend B. Bynoe, Esq., who procured it on the north-west coast of Australia. The notes accompanying the bird informed me that “it inhabits the country between Cape Hotham and the island of Depuch; the specimen sent is from the isolated water reaches about 150 miles up the Victoria River. It congregates on the ground and rises like a Quail, plunging immediately afterwards in the thick long grass.”
In its structure and markings it closely assimilates to the other members of the genus Geophaps; but widely differs from them in its diminutive size, and in the possession of a long and graceful crest springing from the occiput, a character which exists in several of the Gallinacea, and is familiar to every one in the pretty Pewit or Lapwing (Vanellus cristatus) of the British Islands.
Lores and orbits naked, and of a yellowish red; head furnished with a lengthened occipital crest, which with the crown, sides of the neck and chest, and under part of the wing, are light ferruginous; chin black; throat banded alternately with white and black, the latter colour extending to the ear-coverts; on the chest two semilunar marks of white, which meeting form a point in the centre; middle of the abdomen light buff; under tail-coverts brown, with lighter edges; back of the neck, back, rump and upper tail-coverts rufous brown; wings light ferruginous, with the basal half of the feathers silvery grey, the two colours separated by a transverse band of black; primaries rufous brown; secondaries brown, with a large patch of bronze-purple towards their tips; tail black; bill black; feet reddish brown.
The figures are of the natural size.