PERISTERA HISTRIONIGA, Goma MH
Harlequin Bronzewing. |

Peristera histrionica, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., September 8, 1840. |

 

 

 

 

 

J rirsT met with this new and beautiful pigeon on the 2nd of December, 1839, while e
of the Mokai, a river which rises in the Liverpool range, and falls into the N
I was strolling beside the stream at sunrise, when one of these bird

ncamped on the banks
amoi.

s rose from the water’s edge, flew to
the distance of forty yards, and again alighted on the ground, where it assumed much of the air and actions j
of a Sand Grouse (Péerocles). A fortnight after this I descended the Namoi, about one hundred and fifty

miles, and while traversing the extensive plains, studded here and there with patches

of trees that skirt the Hi
Nundawar range, I was suddenly, but agreeably startled by an immense flocl

« of these birds rising before me, }
and again alighting on the ground at a short distance ; finding they would not admit of near approach, I
secreted myself, and desired my aboriginal companion Natty to go round and turn the fiock towards me: the
whole simultaneously rose as before with a loud burring noise, so closely packed, that had they not passed me
at a considerable angle, many must have fallen to my shot ; as it was I succeeded in obtaining four, two of
which were males. Alarmed at so unusual a sound in these solitudes as the discharge of a gun, the
remainder winged their way rapidly out of sight. About a week afterwards, while returning from hunting
the kangaroo on a distant part of the same plain, we approached a small group of Myalls (A4eacia pendula),
and Natty suddenly called out, “‘ Look massa ;” in an instant the air before us seemed literally filled with a
dense mass of these birds, which had suddenly rose from under the trees at his exclamation; we had {
scarcely time to raise our guns before they were seventy or eighty yards off; our united discharge, however,
brought down eight additional specimens, all of which being merely winged and fluttering about, attracted
the attention of our kangaroo dogs, and it was with the greatest difficulty they could be prevented from
tearing them to pieces ; in the midst of the scramble, a kite, with the utmost audacity, came to the attack,
and would doubtless, in spite of our presence, have carried off his share, had not the contents of my second
barrel stopped his career. This was the last time I mee with the Harlequin Bronzewing. I took every )
opportunity of making inquiries respecting it of the natives a bas interior, and of the Sa at the out
stations, both of whom assured me they had never observed it before the present season. It this assertion |
be correct, and there seems to be no reason for doubting it, whence has this fine bird made its appearance ? 1 it
Had it always been common in those parts of the country, its size and its beauty must have attracted the
Betion Be the various travellers who have, from time to time, traversed the interior. May we not
reasonably suppose that it had migrated from the central regions os us vast continent, which has yet 2 |
in store for future discovery? The great length of wing which this bird possesses, oy adapts it for |
inhabiting such a country as the far interior is generally imagined to be, oie by this means ae big .
pass with great ease, and in a short time, over a vast extent of country ; this great Be of flig a ne
a highly necessary qualification to enable it to traverse the great distances it is probably often necessitatec
to do in search of water. d with small hard scede. @iemmere )
On dissecting the specimens obtained, I found their crops half fille with small hard seeds, \ |
procured from the open plains, but of what kinds I was unable to ts ee
Forehead, stripe from behind the eye, forming a circle round the ear-cov a au Z ee 4 7 oa ‘ a
across the throat snow-white; the remainder of the head, throat and ear-coverts Jet-black ; < PI I
ee A. ‘9 centre tail-feathers deep cinnamon-brown ; edge of the shoulder dull al)
surface, wing-coverts, flanks and two centre tal oe
white ; spurious wing bluish gray, slightly margined with oe poe he inner web, forming a con-
at the base, largely marked with the same on the inner web, to ge

: eras. le f white at the tip of each feather ;
spicuous patch on the under surface of the wing, and with an ov al spot of white < I : ’

secondaries crossed by a beautiful deep crimson bronze on t ae
: ae rar tr », which is w
bluish gray at the base, passing into black toward the extremity, i 7
| 1 Fail coverts light buff; nostrils and bill black ; bare skin surrou g |
eee uish gray; unc i a E a scales of the legs and feet lilac-red ; hind part flesh-red. al
1 ivi ark brown; irontal scales gs |
eye purplish black ; irides dark brown ; = a en eee
: a i le | lv a faint indication of the markings which adorn the male, and is altogether much le
ne female has only a fe é
brilliant in her appearance.
The figures are those of a male and female of t

brownish gray, margined on
their outer web with rufous

he outer webs near the tip; lateral tail-feathers

hite; breast and centre of the

he natural size.