SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF CERTAIN RING-DOVES. 197 



the same general character; (5) the ring is cream-colored, just distinguishable from 

 the general white of the rest of the body; (6) the white rings always prefer their 

 own kind to the blond rings in mating, and the latter also prefer their own kind; 

 (7) in crossing, the young tend strongly to preserve the original colors, either 

 brown or white. It is true that the incubation periods of their eggs is the same, 

 and further that most of their habits are quite similar. The white rings are less 

 resistant to trying conditions and probably have a shorter term of life. 



The general color of the blond ring (St. risoria) could be described as a pale 

 fawn or isabelline, which becomes lighter on the throat, and fades out towards and 

 around the vent, passing imperceptibly into the white of the under tail-coverts. 



The black ring or collar is sometimes narrower at its middle on the back of the 

 neck than at the ends. This fact, together with the complete interruption of the 

 ring on the back of the neck in the first plumage, by which it is broken into two 

 portions, one on each side of the neck, beginning a little below and Ijehind the ear- 

 coverts and growing narrower backward, suggests that the half ring has arisen by 

 the extension of two spots like those seen in the mourning-dove. This ring is creamy 

 white in the white ring. It is often reduced to a mere shadow, or wholly absent, in 

 the first plumage. 



THE JAPANESE RING-DOVE (STREPTOPELIA DOURACA). 



This bird is not St. risoria, although it looks like it; it has a different voice, 

 never laughs, coos rarely, lays sparingly, is larger than St. risoria, and is somewhat 

 darker. These facts I have been able to learn definitely from keeping and breeding 

 in confinement 24 birds received from Japan.'' 



Stejneger32 gives this dove the name Turtur douraca forquotus (ringed turtle-dove 

 = Shirako-bato). Hodgson" is responsible for the name douraca, a name which 

 Stejneger thinks should be reserved for the wild ring-dove of India; and Bog- 

 danow'^ is held responsible for torquatus, since Brisson had before (1760) given 

 this name to the common tame ring-dove. 



Stejneger is responsible for using both names as a means of separating the 

 Chinese and Japanese birds (torquatus) from the Indian type {douraca). 



Stejneger says Schlegel (Mus. P. Bas, Columb., p. 123, 1873) made it clear that 

 the tame bird is not a descendent of the wild ring-dove of India, China, or Japan. 



Stejneger insists that the Indian species is distinct, as the outer web of the outer 

 tail-feathers in T.risorius is white, while it is blackish in T. douraca. The Indian 

 bird is, moreover, darker (drab). 



If this species is distinct from the wild Indian ring-dove, as Bogdanow and Stej- 

 neger claim, then I should prefer Turtur torquatus to the trinomial proposed by 

 Stejneger. Schlegel also (see Stejneger, loc. cit.,p. 427) calls attention to the racial 

 difference between the Indian species {douraca) and the form found in China and 

 Japan. This difference is thus stated by Stejneger (p. 427): 



"My Japanese specimens, as well as a number of Corean examples, which Mr. Jouy 

 kindly allowed me to examine, have the color of the back nearly that of Eidgway's 'Isabella 



" Through the kindness of Professor Ijima. 

 =2 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., June, 1887, p. 426. 

 " Gray's Zool. Misc., p. 85. 

 " Tr. Sib. Obtsch. Jestestv., XII, p. 98, 1881. 



