( "4 ) 



He lias marked the iris <as pale yellowish-grey (straw-yellow, pale straw), 

 bill yellow at tip, red at base, nostrils mealy, feet coral-pink. 



A specimen from lielva, ISan Miguel, received by the British Masenm as a 

 present from the Ponta Delgada Mnseam, seems not only to belong to typical 

 palumbus, but has the back exceptionally pale. 



[Local name : Pombo troipiaz or Pombo torcan. 



The Pouta Delgada STusenm contains : 

 (I. adult, Furnas, San Miguel. 



This Wood-Pigeon is found on the eastern and central groujjs of islands, but 

 does not occur on Flores and Corvo. Though nowhere really numerous, it is most 

 common on St. Jorge and Pico, but on Santa Maria, San Miguel, tiraciosa, Terceira, 

 and Fayal it is only met witli in small numbers, and is generally a difficult bird to 

 procure. On Terceira we found a ])arty of eight inhabiting the small pine woods 

 in our neighbourhood, and after some trouble we succeeded in shooting a couple of 

 specimens. Having mounted one of these as a " decoy," and ])laced it in a con- 

 spicuous position in one of the fields, we soon collected the remaining birds of the 

 flock. This is by far the best way of securing Wood-Pigeons as specimens, for when 

 shot cleanly on the ground they lose very few feathers. We found that the birds 

 were feeding largely on the bulbous roots of the yellow oxalis, and we considered 

 their flesh superior to that of any other bird met with in tlie Azores. 



The habits of the Azores Wood-Pigeon difier somewhat from those of l'>ritish 

 birds. One seldom, if ever, sees the former flying high in the air, and when 

 moving from place to place, or coming in to roost, they fly very low, just over the 

 tops of the bushes. They are very shy and skulking, and on 8an Jorge and Pico 

 especially were met with in the small woods and clumps of heath-trees and 

 juniper, as well as in the dense patches of faya and pine. On Pico we found pairs 

 in the wooded and bush-clad sides of the dry watercourses up to about 3000 ft. 



We found a nest containing two eggs in a dense juniper bush overhanging 

 a watercourse on the toji of San Jorge. The eggs measure respectively : T" x ri5 

 and rOT x 1'16 in.] * 



Drouet calls this bird ('olitinb(( trocaz, and moreover includes ('. lauricora as 

 a synonym ! ! 



o. Columba livia aberr. 



The liock-Pigeons from the Azores belong to the dark race also found common 

 on Madeira. They have the upper surface deep slate-black, more or less sjiotted 

 with pale grey, the rump white or grey, the abdomen lighter or darker, and vary 

 very much. It is evident that they are descendants of domestic Pigeons, but it is 

 not without interest to see that they are generally (like those from Madeira) of 

 the same style of coloration. In the Onntlioloij. Moiwtssrhr. Deutarli. I7v. z. 

 Schulzc d. Voyelir. xxii. p. 144, I have shown that the name of the Stock-Dove is 

 Columba oenas L. 1758, that of the wild Kock-Pigeon C. licia Gm. 1788, and that 

 the name domestica L. refers solely to the Domestic Pigeons. 



Mr. Grant sent examjiles from central (iraciosa, Pico, San Jorge, and 

 Corvo. 



[Local name : Pomba da Kocha. 



♦ [Dr. IT. Simrotli— ylrc//./. yating., i. p. I'.IO (188K)— quotes Drouet as his autliority for the occurrence 

 of Ihe Common Turtle-Dove in the Azores. Major Chaves, liowcvcr, assures us that this is a mistake. 

 'The tame Dove (Tuiiiir risorinx) is found in a domestic state, and is jirobably the bird alluded to.] 



