INDIAN RING-DOVE 221 



as the bird's habitat, and finally Linnaeus himself simply states " Habitat 

 in India." 



There cannot, therefore, be the slightest doubt that Linnaeus meant 

 the name risoria to be applied to the wild Dove which had the headquarters 

 of its habitat in India. 



In the Avxculturxst Magazine Newman again refers to the name by which 

 this Dove should be known, and after showing why decaocta must be accepted 

 for the Balkan bird named by Frivaldsky, proceeds to show that douraca 

 must stand for our Indian bird. He does not, however, attempt any reference 

 to Aldrovandus, Brisson, and Linnaeus, but merely states as a fact that 

 risoriiis can only be applied to the domestic form. I cannot, myself, find 

 any constant distinguishing characteristics between the east European and 

 the Indian bird, but if the former is worthy of separation it mil stand as 

 Streptopelia risoria decaocta whilst our bird will remain S. r. risoria. 



Distribution. The Indian Ring-Dove is found practically throughout 

 India and Ceylon except in the wettest, most heavily-forested portions of 

 the eastern Himalayas, and from parts of the Malabar Coast. It is common 

 in eastern Bengal in the open country and is fairly so in western Assam in 

 the cultivated plains portion, but becomes much more rare in the extreme 

 east and in Cachar and Sylhet. In Chittagong, I tliink, but am not sure, 

 that it is replaced by the Burmese Ring-Dove. The exact dividing line 

 between the two subspecies, of which the latter has but recently been 

 distinguished, has not yet been definitely settled either in regard to the 

 Indian or the Chinese borders. It is quite certain, however, that the Indian 

 form does not occur in Burma. 



This bird is probably entirely absent from the greater part of the 

 Malabar Coast, as Davidson only once met with it in the extreme east of Kanara, 

 and Bourdillon says it is only found in the dry stretch of country near to 

 Cape Comorin. In Cachar and to the east of this I think it is but a rare 

 straggler ; Inglis hardly ever saw it in the plains, and I do not think I saw 

 a dozen specimens in the hills in as many years. 



It ascends the Himalayas up to some 8,000 to 9,000 feet, but is not 

 resident in the higher hUls much over 4,000 ft. Outside Indian limits it 

 extends as far as Turkey in Europe and throughout the intervening countries, 

 being replaced in Palestine, Egypt, and northern Africa by other subspecies. 



Nidification. The Indian Ring-Dove breeds throughout the year in 

 the plains portion and lower hills of its habitat. To mention but one or 

 two of its collectors, Inglis says that he has taken its eggs in every month 

 of the year except February; Bingham says they breed practically all the 

 year round, and Hume took the eggs in every month from December to 

 August. In eastern Bengal very few birds breed during the most rainy 

 months, July, August, and September, most of them nesting in the two 

 or three months immediately preceding and succeeding the rains. 



In the higher hills the breeding-season is considerably curtailed, few 

 eggs will be found before April, or after September, and the principal montlis 

 are May and June. Each pair of birds, like most other Doves, are responsible 

 for at least two broods a year, and many of them doubtless have four or five. 

 As a rule, I think, they generally build a new nest for each brood, but some- 

 times they rear two or even more in the old one, merely repairing this 

 sufficiently for the time being. 



The nest is the usual Dove's structure of sticks made into the roughest 

 of platforms, with but little or no depression in the centre for the eggs. 



