TURTUE. 349 



information from my friends in the Central Province concernino- 

 its nesting-habits. Mr. Bligh writes :— ' I have seen their nest's 

 both in spring and autumn as late as October; they generally 

 build in lofty forest trees, but I once frightened a large yount^ 

 one from a nest on a small tree some 15 feet above the ground.'"*^ 



Subfamily TURTURIN^. 



Turtur pulchrala* (Hodgs.). The Indian Tiu-tle-Dove. 



Turtur rupicolus {rail.), Jerd. B. Inch ii, p. 476. 



Turtur pulchrata {Ilodys.), Hume, Rough Draft N. S,- E. no. 792. 



Our Indian Turtle-Dove breeds throughout the lower ranges of 

 the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to 8ikhim at any rate, at eleva- 

 tions of from 4000 to 8000 feet. It is for the most part only a 

 summer visitant to these hills. A few pairs linger during the 

 winter in the lower valleys, but the great majority migrate at this 

 season to the Central Provinces and Central India, where it may 

 at times, in the cold weather, be found associated with the next 

 species. 



T. pulchrala lays throughout the summer. I have found eo-gs 

 early in May and late in August, but the great majority lay in 

 June. It makes a loose, but rather more substantial, twig nest 

 than many of its congeners, placed on some horizontal branch of a 

 large tree, usually not far from the extremity. 



Colonel C. H. T. Marshall, writing from Murree, says: — "This 

 species breeds in June in the pine-forests, but I have found their 

 nests in all kinds of trees. The eggs are invariably two in number. 

 I conclude, from the very different dates on which I have found 

 the eggs, that they have two broods, but I am not certain of the 

 fact." 



Captain Ilutton (who, however, miscalled the bird T. meena) 

 says : — " This also is a mere summer visitor at Mussoorie, where it 

 arrives early in April, when every wood resounds \\ ith its deep- 

 toned cooing. It is not found lower than 6000 feet there, and 

 departs in October. At Mussoorie it breeds in May, making a 

 platform-nest on tall forest-trees. The eggs are two and pure 

 wliite." 



Captain Cock noted that the Indian Turtle-Dove " breeds near 

 Murree and in Cashmere on trees and bushes, at no great height 

 from the ground, in May and June, laying t\vo eggs of the usual 

 Dove-type, in the usual slight stick-nest of the family." 



The eggs of this species are like those of all "its numerous 

 allies — regular ovals, pure white, and very glossy. In size they 



* It is evident from Hodgson's drawings and MS. that he named this bird 

 pulchrala, and not jpulchraf a. — Ed. 



