THE TURTLE-DOVE PATTERN IN THE PHYLOGENY OF PIGEONS. 77 



are pointed posteriorly (text-fig. 14). There are only a few of them. A condition 

 of wing-spots closely similar to this has been obtained (pi. 23, fig. C) by crossing 

 Zenaidura (fairly strong spots) with ring-doves (no trace of spots). 28 I predicted 

 that the young of this species (M. leucoptera), which in the adult has no spots, 

 might show traces of spots. This is a good demonstration of my theory that the 

 ancestral pigeon had elongated pointed spots. 



The Pehibtebin/B. 



In some of the ground-doves (Chamcepelia) the turtle-dove pattern is preserved 

 in the whole breast region and in the anterior, smaller coverts of the wings, while 

 in the posterior portion of the wings spots or chequers are found. In many coverts 

 of the wing we find the dark centers more or less reduced, with the distal ends of 

 their remnants in various stages of conversion into lateral spots. 



We may examine in detail the turtle-dove marks as seen in the Florida ground- 

 dove (Ch. passerina). The forehead, sides of head, front and sides of neck, breast, 

 and abdomen are bright purplish vinous in color (darker or more reddish than in 

 the inca-dove). This vinous shade darkens to vinous-brown on the edges of the 

 feathers, giving a scale-like appearance. The vinous lightens up on the sides of 

 the neck and passes gradually into the darker color of the nape and hind-neck. 

 These neck-feathers with their darker (not black) edges remind of Scardufella inca 

 and of Geopelia humeralis. 



The occiput and nape are light gray, edged with dusky — again similar to the 

 inca-dove, though not quite so strong or dark. On the lower hind-neck I fail to 

 see any crescentic dark edges to the feathers. 



Aside from the resemblance to the inca-dove in color (dark edges of feathers) 

 and behavior, this bird is especially interesting in that it preserves on its throat and 

 breast, and to some extent on the sides of the neck, the old turtle-dove mark — the 

 dark center of the feather pointed at the distal end (text-fig. 4). This same mark- 

 obsolescent — may be seen on the wing-coverts, especially on the lesser coverts. On 

 the scapulars, tertials, and long coverts the mark has wholly or nearly disappeared. 



The next point of interest is that we find on the coverts and tertials the lateral 

 spots seen in Cohimba livia, which are here "steel-blue with violet reflections," as 

 shown in color, plate 29, figure B, and these spots coexist with the obsolescent dark 

 (more or less dark-gray) centers. 



Salvadori (page 477) has noted that this species is quite variable. In the wing 

 of one male I find 26 spots; only 19 in another. On the lesser coverts I find, on 

 lifting the feathers, that there is a plain, though pale, pointed central spot like the 

 turtle-dove spot, and this spot fuses in some cases with the small black chequers. 



I have selected a number of feathers from the left wing of the male having 26 

 spots to show the coexistence of the two forms of the mark in the same individual 

 (pi. 27, fig. A). 



There is no side-spot on the neck of this species, but the feathers run in very 

 regular rows. The dark turtle-dove center is largest and most perfect on the front 

 of the neck. On the breast the spots rather abruptly become narrower and cease 



28 I find a dull reddish-brown mid-streak in most of the wing-coverts of juvenile white-wings. The color of this 

 streak is the same as that I have seen in young geotrygons. (It seems probable that the author would later have 

 identified this mid-streak with that (later found) in Zenaida. In the latter he has shown that the mid-streak arises 

 as a median extension of the light apical edge to form an incipient "guinea-mark." — Ed.) 



