(37) STREPTOPELIA TURTUR ARENICOLA (Hartert). 

 THE PERSIAN TURTLE-DOVE. 



Turtur turtur arenicola Hartert, Nov. Zool., I p. 42 (1894). 

 Turtur auritiis Hume, Lali. to Yark., p. 278 ; Blaiif., E. Persia, II p. 270 ; 

 Scully, Str. Feath., IV p. 177. 



Turtur turtur Saivadori, Cat. B.M., XXI pt. i (part) ; Sliarpe, Hand-Ijist, 

 pt. I, p. 77 (part) ; Gates, Cat. Eggs B.M., pt. i, p. 94 (part). 



Vernacular Name. Tarul-ghu, Turki. 



Description. — Adult male. Similar to the adult male of S. turtur turtur, 

 the European Turtle-Dove, but much paler and brighter in colour. The 

 upper-back, scapulars, and wing-coverts bright pale cinnamon, the head 

 paler and more ashy and the under-parts very much paler, ^dth the extent 

 of wliite greater and the vmaceous less as well as being brighter and more 

 pink. The edges to the feathers of the black patches on the neck are wider 

 and at t]ie same time less pure a white than in turtur turtur, this being especially 

 noticeable in the Yarkand, Persian, and Afghanistan specimens. 



Measurements. " The dimensions of the type of Turtur turtur arenicola 

 in the Tring Museum are as follows : Total length about 11 in., wing 6.45, 

 tail 4.4, culmen 0.68, tarsus 0.8. English Turtle-Doves have the wing 

 larger." (Hartert.) 



The series in the British Museum have wings measuring from 6.40 in. 

 ( = 161.5 mm.) to 7.15 in. ( = 181.6 mm.), so that it does not appear that 

 in a large series the wing of the European bird would average any larger than 

 that of the Persian. 



"Weight 4.4 oz." (Scully). 



Colours of soft parts. " Bill greyish black, edge of gape and orbital space 

 purple ; irides orange yellow ; legs and feet purple, cla«s black " (Scully). 

 " Iris orange, legs and feet lake red " (Forsyth). 



Female. Similar to the male. 



Young. Differs from the adult in the same way as the young of turtur 

 turtur differs from the adult male of that subspecies. 



This bird was originally described by Hartert in Novitates Zoological 

 from a specimen obtained at Fao in Persia, and he there notes " those from 

 Yarkand are different from the European bird and brighter cinnamon on 

 the back, scapulars, and upper wing-coverts." I cannot, however, separate 

 the birds from Afghanistan, Yarkand and Gilgit from tlie south Persian 

 birds, and these again seem to me to be identical with birds from Palestine. 

 They are very close to, barely separable indeed, from the Nortli African birds, 

 but are perhaps a trifle brighter and more ciiuiamon in tint above and paler 

 and less vinous below. 



Distribution. Persia in the south — but replaced in tlie extreme north 

 and Trans-Caucasia by the true turtur — Arabia and Palestine, Afghanistan, 



