PIGEONS. 249 



great affection for each other, and shouUl one die, the survivor exhibits his sorrow by 

 mournful cooing, and searches diligently for his companion. Like others of this 

 gvouji, the turtle-dove feeds on seeds of various kinds, and grain, and iidial>its districts 

 where fresh water is obtainalile ; always, when desirous of quenching its tliirst, alight- 

 ing near the water in some (>]ien s])ot, and tiien walking down to the edge of the 

 stream or jiond. The nest, a slight jilatform of twigs, is jilaced iijion some convenient 

 branch, on which the two white eggs arc de])osited. 



A very iiretty s])ecies of Turtur is the 2'. semitorqtiatus (separated by some authors 

 in a genus, Strejitopclia), from Senegal and the Gambia. The crow-n is bluish-ash, a 

 black semi-collar on Ijack of neck; under plumage vinaceous ; belly and vent white- 

 back, wings, and tail grayish-brown ; a broad black bar crosses the tail, whicji is broad 

 and rounded, with the basal half black. A close ally to this last is the T. albiventris, 

 from South Africa, very similar in plumage, but with the outside tail-feathers white. 

 This is a vtry abundant species, and lired, at least at one time, w itliiu the precincts of 

 Cape Town. 



Witiiout any very technical distinctions the doves are a well-marked group, the 

 chief character being the form of the tail. Their colors, though pleasing and harmo- 

 nious, lack the brilliant and often Ijright hues of the pigeons. They have a graceful 

 shape and small heads; the tail lengthened, rounded, or graduated. 



3ritcriipyr/!(i^ containing al)out two dozen species, is confined to India, the Ma- 

 layan islands, an<l those of the eastern archipelago, and Australia. The l)irds are dis- 

 tinguished by their long, broad tails, are fruit-eaters to a certain extent, but also feed 

 on the groinid, and in their color and general M])pearance more resemble doves 

 than jiigeons. The geims has been suVidivided by various authors into several 

 genera or sub-genera, such as Cocci/ziini, luracama, Jieimcardtoena, and Strepto- 

 pelia, but for the ]iresent any consideration of these is unnecessarj'. The Jf. rein- 

 tcanftui, from the Moluccan and Pai)UMn islands, is one of the finest of this group. It 

 has the forehead and sides of the head, neck, and middle of the breast pure white, 

 all the rest of head and body ashy white ; back, scapidars, and two middle tail- 

 feathers reddi.sh-chestnut ; primaries black ; other tail-feathers are ash-color, with 

 black bases, and a black bar near the tii>. There is also a nude skin around the eye. 

 Feet red. Total length about twenty inches. The general apjtearance of this bird is 

 very handsome, and the long graduated tail gives a very graceful shape to the body. 

 It is foimd in several of the Papuan and ]\[oluecan islands. 



Another, Jf. modesta, from Timor, is also a striking species of verj- different ap- 

 pearance from the one just described. It is, as its name irajilies, dressed in subdued 

 colors, but there are, over the general leailen hue of its plumage, metallic reflections of 

 green and purple. A lemon-yellow skin surrounds the eye, and the iris itself is red. 

 M. leptoijrammica^ from Java, is very different again from both the species given, 

 having the top of head and back or mantle metallic green « ith puri)le reflections; 

 similar but lirighter reflections are seen ti]ion the throat and breast. The back, wing- 

 covcrts, rump, and thj six large featliers of the tail are ferruginous, banded trans- 

 versely w ith black. The other tail-feathers are ashy at their base, then black, and 

 tipped with grayish blue; the tail is long and graduated; the throat and lielly are 

 pale lihac, and under tail-coverts red. The total length is fifteen inches. This species 

 lives on the summit of high rocky elevations in wooded districts, and feeds on peppers 

 and grain an<l various aromatic seeds, which communicate to the flesh a very agree- 

 able taste, causing it to be highly esteemed for food. 



