Mr. E. Blyth's Drafts for a Fauna Indica. 179 



XXIV. — Drafts for a Fauna Indica. By Ed. Blyth, 



Curator of the Asiatic Society's Museum, &c. &c.* 



[Continued from p. 108.] 



The Doves 



Are generally smaller and more delicately formed, with the tail 

 commonly more or less lengthened and graduated, this latter 

 character attaining a high degree of development in certain 

 groups of them. The nearest approach to the wood-pigeons is 

 exhibited by the North American passenger doves {Ectopistes, 

 Sw.), which are especially characterized by having a long, much 

 graduated and sharp-pointed tail, and powerful wings, of which 

 the first two primaries are equal and longest ; they have the true 

 pigeon-like play of colours on the sides of the neck. The African 

 (Ena capensis has been generally placed near Ectopistes, but (so 

 far as can be judged from drawings) would appear rather to ap- 

 proximate certain of the Macropygia of the Eastern Archipelago, 

 as M. Reinwardtii. To the last-named group one Indian species 

 appertains. 



Macropygia, Swainson : Coccyzurttj Hodgson. (Cuckoo- 

 doves.) 



The species of this division are remarkable for their very broad, 

 long and much graduated tail, and general Cuckoo-like figure. 

 They chiefly inhabit the great Eastern Archipelago, a single spe- 

 cies occurring in the Himalaya, and another in Australia. For 

 the most part they are confined to rocky upland forests, and sub- 

 sist much on berries, often descending to the ground to pick up 

 fallen mast and fruits ; upon being disturbed, their great broad 

 tail shows to much advantage as they rise. The species of the 

 Archipelago are very injurious to the pepper and other spice 

 plantations ; and their flesh is highly esteemed for the table, from 

 the fine flavour said to be imparted to it by the various aromatic 

 berries on which they feed. 



M. leptogrammica : Col. leptogrammica, Temminck, PI. Col. 

 248 : Coccyzura tusalia, Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc. xiii. p. 936. 

 (Rayed Cuckoo-dove.) Upper parts dusky, with numerous 

 narrow rufous bars on the mantle, wings, rump and upper tail- 

 coverts ; tail more obscurely barred in the male ; forehead, chin 

 and throat whitish, tinged with lake; the occiput, neck and 

 breast dull pale vinaceous, glossed (less brightly on the breast) 

 with changeable green and amethystine-purple ; lower parts yel- 

 lowish-albescent, the under tail-coverts pale bufl*; all but the four 

 middle tail-feathers ashy, with a broad black subterminal band ; 



* From the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, no. 169. 



13* 



