MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 687 



(1310 a) — The Burmese Ring Dove (Turtur exanthocyclus). 



Decidedly common in the dry-zone breeding from July to September." 



H.H. HARINGTON, Major, 



(92nd Punjabis). 

 Rangoon, 31 st December 1907. 



No. XXII.— "VARIETY OR SPECIES." 



When I wrote the article " Differentiation of Species " which appeared on 

 page 198 of the present volume of this Journal and noted on the similarity of 

 birds of different species and the difference in others which were simply phases 

 of one and the same species, I had in my mind Hieraelus pennatus (The 

 Booted Eagle) in particular, as a sample of the latter type, though I mentioned 

 others, since I was following up a clue, at the time, which led me to believe that 

 the dark and the light phase of the Booted eagle were not simply varieties of the 

 same species, in different plumages, but each entitled to specific rank. Hitherto 

 they have simply been looked upon as one and the same bird and generally 

 accepted as such, and I for one took it for granted, without question, until a 

 couple of years ago, when it struck me, that I had never seen a dark and a 

 light variety together, as a pair, which would undoubtedly happen, occasionally, 

 were they of the same species. Since then, I have watched them very closely 

 and found in all 7 pairs with youngsters, and one eyass was sent me by a 

 friend with the description of the parents, and in not one single case have I 

 found the parent birds of any but the same colour and the youngster in each 

 case resembled the parents. Of the seven pairs found by me and one sent me, 

 five were of the dark variety with young ones resembling the parents and three 

 of the light variety and youngsters the same. 



Blanford, if I remember rightly, (not having the volume with me), says that 

 the dark plumage is that of the young bird, but that it has been known 

 to breed in this plumage. There can be no question about the latter part of 

 this statement for, as I have mentioned above, I found 5 pairs breeding in the 

 dark plumage and the progeny in each case dark, but that the dark plumage 

 is that of the young bird alone I very much doubt, as what about the 3 

 eyasses in light plumage ? 



If the two plumages are only phases, it is a most extraordinary coincidence 

 that in every case I have come across, dark has paired with dark and light with 

 light and the young ones too resembled the parents. 



In size, habits and flight and also the call, there is no difference so far as 

 I can see, between the two, but in colouring, particularly when on the wing 

 there is little or no resemblance. The dark variety when soaring, looks very 

 like a kite, except for the smaller and rounded tail and a faint white line 

 running along the edge of the wing, due to the tips of the primaries and 

 secondaries being tipped with white and a similar line, in some, on the end 

 of the tail. The light variety on the other hand from below presents an 

 appearance, something like an adult Neophron the colour being dirty white with 

 only the last two or three inches of the wing feathers black. 



