(36) STREPTOPELIA TURTUR TURTUR (Linn.). 

 THE TURTLE-DOVE. 



Columba lurtur Linn., Sys. Nat., I p. 284 (1766) (India) ; Latham, Ind. Orn., 



II p. 605. 

 Turtur communis Selby, Nat. Lib., Orn., V pp. 153, 171 (1835), descr. nulla ; 



Blanf., Avi. Brit. I., IV p. 42. 

 Turtur vulgaris Eyt., Cat. Brit. B., p. 32 (1836). 

 Turtur migratorius Sw., Classif. B., II p. 349. 

 Turtur auritus Gray, List Gen. B., p. 38 (1840) ; BIyth, Cat. B.M.A.S.B., 



p. 237 (Hume, Lah. to Yark., p. 278 ; Blanf., E. Persia, II p. 270 ; 



Scully, Str. Feath., IV p. 177 ; id., J.A.S.B., VI p. 86. All these latter 



references apply more properiy to the bird which Hartert has separated 



as areiiicola). 

 Columba afra Webb and Beth., Orn. Can., p. 28. 

 Turtur turtur Salvadori, Cat. B.M., XXI p. 397 ; Sharpe, Hand-List. I p. 77 ; 



Gates, Cat. Eggs B.M., I. 

 Streptopelia turtur Bonaparte (1857) ; Hart., Jour., Tice., and With., Hand- 



LLst Brit. B., p. 161. 



Vernacular Name. Turul-ghu (Turki). 



Description. — Adult male. Upper portion of head from fore-head to 

 base of hind-neck ashy -grey ; a patch of black feathers on either side of the 

 base of the neck, each feather edged with white, the white and black forming 

 regular streaks in the living bird ; upper-back pale brown, but varying much 

 in tone and with the grey of the neck sometimes encroaching into the inter- 

 scapulars ; lower-back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ashy-brown, in some 

 cases more grey than in others, more especially on the lower-back and sides 

 of the rump. Central tail-feathers browTi, very narrowly tipped with white 

 or fawn-white ; remaining tail-feathers slaty-black witli a broad terminal 

 band ctf white and the outermost pair with the whole outer web white also. 

 Scapulars, lower and inner median coverts and innermost secondaries brownish - 

 chestnut or cinnamon, with bold black centres divided from the outer colour 

 by faint intermediate lines of grey ; remaining coverts grey ; (juills bro\\n, 

 narrowly edged with whitish and the outermost secondaries more ashy at 

 their bases ; chin, sides of head and throat pale vinous, albescent on the chin 

 and often rather fulvous on the throat, gradually changing to deep vinous 

 on the breast, and again changing to white on the centre of the abdomen, 

 vent, and thigh-coverts ; under tail-coverts pure white. Under wing-coverts, 

 axillaries, and flanks dark dove-grey. Under aspect of tail black with broad 

 terminal band of white. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris orange, orange-red, red or orange-brown ; 

 eyelid reddish -bro\An and orbital skin still more puiple ; legs and feet purple 

 or reddisli-purple, paler on the soles and w ith the cla\\s horny-black ; bill 

 greyish or slaty-black, the edge of the gape purplish-red. 



Measurements. Length about eleven inches or rather over. Wing 

 6.5 in. ( = 165.1 mm.) to 7.2 in. ( = 183.9 mm.) : bill at front about .65 in. 

 ( = 16.5 mm.), and from gape about .85 in. ( = 21.6 mm.); tail 4.5 to 5 in. 

 ( = 104.3 to 127.4 mm.) ; tarsus about .75 in. ( = 19 mm.). 



Female. "The plumage less bright and pure" (Salvadori). 



I cannot discriminate in any %\ay between the two sexes in plumage, 

 and much the highest coloured bird in the British Museum Collection is sexed 

 as a female. 



