Birds of Southern Afghanistan. 117 



137. Certhilauda desertorum, Stanl. 



Obtained by Col. St. John in the neighbourhood of Kan- 

 dahar. 



138. COLUMBA CASIOTIS^ Bp. 



Kojuk, 1 ? , 29,4,81 ; Quetta, l^, 6,5,81. 

 Common at Kandahar, the Kojuk, and at Quetta. 



139. CoLUMBA INTERMEDIA, Strickl. 



Kandahar, 1 ? , 30,12,80; Do., 1 cJ, 20,3,81. 



140. CoLUMBA LIVIA, Bp. 



Kandahar, 1 ? , 4,1,81. 



In enormous flocks everywhere throughout the winter. 

 Always to be found together, and breeding together in the 

 summer in the holes of old walls in the cities and in the 

 different villages, also in wells and in the rocks of all the hill- 

 sides throughout the country. Commence nesting early in 

 March. I have fired into flocks, and shot them in pairs, and 

 usually got as many with white rumps as without ; even with 

 pairs I. have got one blue rump and one white; and frequently 

 the white is so limited as to be hardly distinguishable. They 

 were such good food, and we were generally so badly off for a 

 change of food, that I find I have brought home only three 

 skins ; but from the frequent examinations I have made of 

 numbers of these birds of both kinds, and from my observa- 

 tions of their habits, I am inclined to believe they are one 

 and the same species, breeding together; and I think it is 

 worthy of consideration whether all these Pigeons found in 

 such enormous numbers in South Afghanistan are not all 

 feral. 



141. TuRTUR AURiTUs, Gray. 

 Quetta, 1 ? , 7,5,81. 



Said to be a summer visitor, but is a rare bird in these 

 parts. 



142. TURTUR CAMBAYENSIS (Gmcl.) . 



Kandahar, \ $ ,\ ^ , 19,3,81. 



Common throughout the year. Commences breeding in 

 the latter end of February ; I took two eggs on the 22nd ; 



