372 PER1STER1D2E. 



Family III. PERISTERlDiE. 



Key to the Subfamilies. 



a. Feathers of the neck not hackled. 

 a'. A blackish spot more or less metallic 

 beneath the ear-coverts ; sides of 



the neck with a metallic gloss 1. ZEN AID IN JE, p. 373. 



b'. No blackish spot beneath the ear- 

 coverts. 

 a". No metallic spots on the wings ; 

 tail of 12 feathers, rather broad ; 

 tarsus naked on the upper part ; 

 neck with a dark collar, more or 

 less distinct, or with scale-like 



patches on the sides 2. TURTURINM, p. 396. 



b". No metallic spots on the wings; 

 size of a Common Dove or much 

 smaller ; wings rounded, the pri- 

 maries not much longer than the 

 tertials ; tarsus scutellated ante- 

 riorly ; tail rather long ; no me- 

 tallic lustre on the sides of the 

 neck or on any other part; tail 



of 14 or 12 feathers 3. GEOPELI1NA?, p. 454. 



e". Metallic spots on the wings (ex- 

 cept in Metriopelia melanoptera). 

 Size small, much smaller than 

 that of a Common Dove ; tail of 

 12 feathers ; the base of the outer 

 tail-feathers never of a grey colour, 

 sharply defined from a dark apical 

 band ; primaries not much longer 

 than the secondaries (except in 

 Metriopelia melanoptera) ; general 

 colour almost uniform. Confined 



to America 4. PERISTERINuE, p. 470. 



d". Metallic blue or green spots or 

 patches on the wings ; size gene- 

 rally larger than that of a Common 

 Dove, if smaller the general colour 

 not uniform. Confined to the Old 



World 5. PHABINJE, p. 500. 



e". No definite metallic spots or bands 

 on the wings, although often a 

 broad glossy violet patch near the 

 bend of the wing ; form robust or 

 Partridge-like; legs very stout; 

 tarsi decidedly longer than the 

 middle toe, and variously scaled 

 anteriorly ; wings short, very 



