Ground-Bove of Purtu Rico. 109 



As the colour of tlie bill is the principal feature in the 

 separation of the species of Chamcepelia, it is evident that the 

 Porto-Rican bird must be distinct from tliat of the Bahamas, 

 since the latter has no crimson at the base of the bill, and for 

 the reasons given above the Cuban form must also be held 

 distinct from that of Porto Rico. So far as I am aware, 

 there is only one other form which possibly has the base of 

 the bill crimson — C. pallescens from Mexico, and this is a pale 

 member of the genus. 



As regards the rest of the plumage, every Porto-Rican bird 

 differs from the Cuban, Bahaman, and Mexican forms in being 

 much darker brown above and of a distinctly darker and 

 richer vinaceous tint below. Tlie pink colour of the sides of 

 the neck and upper wing-coverts in birds from Porto Rico 

 is also distinctly duller and more vinaceous than in Cuban 

 or Bahaman specimens, and this is especially noticeable in 

 the frontal zone of pink. This darker and richer colour of 

 both upper and under surfaces is as noticeable in the 

 females as in the males. I have purposely compared my birds 

 with the three forms referred to, and not with specimens from 

 Jamaica or North America, as the latter have invariably a 

 bright orange or yellow bill and are thus obviously distinct. 



It would appear indeed as if one could roughly recognise 

 three main forms in this genus, viz., yellow-billed, crimson- 

 billed, and black-billed, and from notes taken on the spot I 

 have been much struck Avitli the fact that these colours 

 are remarkably constant in the various localities. Herein 

 I differ entirely from Mr. NicoU, who states that *' the 

 coloration of the soft parts is not constant in any one island " 

 {cf. 'Ibis,' 190-1, p. 57.2). He likewise considers that 

 Floridan specimens are inseparable from those of the West 

 Indies. 



My experience is that adult males from Florida (C terrestris) 

 have the base of the bill irivariubly bright or deep orano-e 

 or orange-yellow, and that those from Porto Rico have it 

 invariably crimson, while those from Bermuda have the bill 

 invariably and wholly blackish brown or black, as is probably 

 the case in the Bahaman bird. Surely the Ground-Doves 



