324 G. E. Verrill — Fauna of the Island of Dominica. 



Sexes alike. Iris brown, bill black, legs and feet red. ,^, 12|- 

 6^-41-20; 1:3-6^-4^. $ 13-6|-4|. 



IT). Columbigallina passerina (Lmu.). " Ortolan," Pat. and Fr. "Ground 



Dove,'" Eug'. 

 Chamcepelia imsserina (Linn.) ; Lawr. and Scl. Lists. 



Abundant along the edges of ihe cane-fields and in the roads along 

 the coast, particularly on the leeward side of the island. Not found 

 among the naountains. Quite tame and unsuspicious. Many are 

 captured and sold for cage birds. 



Sexes similar. Iris orange, legs and feet flesh-color, bill brown, 

 lower mandible lighter at the base. ^5 7-3^-2^; 7-3^^-2^; 7-3g-2.^; 

 7-3.j^-2^. $ 7:^-3^2:^-10; 7-3 ^-2 1^. In all the specimens, exposed 

 culmen JL., tarsus in S 0-67, tarsus in ? 0-01. 



16. GeotrygOn montana (Lmu.). S "Perdrix rouge," $ "Perdrix noire," 

 Pat. and Fr. (Red Partridge, Black Partridge.). 



Rather eommon in heavy woods, particularly near the streams and 

 rivers. Found mainly among the mountains. Like the "Raraier" 

 it is much hunted as a game bird and is consequently shy. The na- 

 tive name of " Perdrix " (Partridge) is very appropriate, as it is very 

 terrestrial in its habits, spending most of its time on the ground, 

 frequently running instead of flying to avoid danger, and in many 

 of its habits and general appearance it more resembles the quails or 

 partridges than the doves. 



It is a very quiet bird, rarely giving utterance to any sound. The 

 dark colored (perhaps immature), female is much less frequently 

 shot or seen than her more brilliantly colored mate.* Of the seven 

 specimens in our collection only one is a female and dark brown, 

 while the six males are all in the red plumage. Like the last it is 

 frequently kept in captivity as a cage-bii'd. 



Iris of the male varies from ox-ange brown to yellow brown or 

 ocher yellow, in the female it is yellow. Legs, feet, bill and naked 

 skin surrounding the eye, pink in the male ; darker r-ed in the female 

 when in the brown plumage. 6 ll^-6|-8i-19f ; 11^-6-31-19^. 

 $ ll|-6-3. 



" Nest built on or near the ground, geuerally of a few leaves loosely put together. 

 Eggs slightly tinged with buff, resembling those of Bonasa umbeUiis."—{A. h. v.) 



* The adult female has been described as like the male, and the dark-browu 

 plumage given as that of the young (Ridgway, Man. N. A. Birds), but natives say 

 that the female is always brown, and our small series seems to bear out this assertion, 

 for though I looked particularly for a red female or a brown male, I never found 

 either. Mr. Cory, too, describes the sexes as different in his " Birds of the West 

 Indies " (Auk, vol. iv, p. 119). 



