RASORES. 143 



It may often be seen among the mangroves in flocks of several 

 hundreds, and hence its colonial name of Mangrove Dove. 

 It was equally numerous during the whole period of my stay 

 in that part of the country. Any number of specimens may be 

 readily procured, for when disturbed the bird merely flits from 

 branch to branch, or if in an open part of the country 

 to the nearest tree, I did not observe it take anything 

 approaching a sustained flight. Its most common note 

 is a rather loud coo-coo, occasionally uttered at long intervals ; 

 during the pairing-season the note becomes of a softer tone, 

 and is more rapidly repeated, and its actions very much re- 

 semble those of the Common Dove of Europe. It breeds in 

 August, and makes a very slight nest of slender twigs, loosely 

 and carelessly laid across each other on* two or three of the 

 lower leaves of the Fandanus, the upper leaves of which aff'ord 

 it a shelter from the rays of the sun and from the rain ; the 

 eggs are two in number, of a delicate fleshy-white." 



The sexes are alike in colouring, but, as is the case with all 

 Doves, the female is smaller than the male. 



Forehead, cheeks, sides of the neck and breast delicate 

 grey ; occiput, back, wing-coverts, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts silky brown ; back of the neck rufous, every feather 

 of the upper surface bounded at the extremity with a narrow 

 band of black, giving the whole a squamated or scaled appear- 

 ance ; under surface of the shoulder and the inner webs, except 

 their tips, of the primaries and secondaries fine rust-red ; 

 outer webs and tips of the inner webs of the primaries and 

 secondaries brown ; two centre tail-feathers dark grey, the 

 remainder reddish brown at the base, gradually increasing in 

 intensity towards their tips, those next the centre ones washed 

 with grey on their outer webs, and largely tipped with white ; 

 centre of the abdomen white ; the remainder of the under 

 surface washed with vinous ; irides ochre-yellow ; bill and 

 nostrils delicate mealy light blue ; naked skin round the eye 

 mealy purple ; legs and feet pink red. 



