THE BIRDS OP HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 197 



occurred. As an attempt to stabilize current usage C dumb a 

 macroura Linnaeus of 1758, a composite in the original description, 

 is here definitely taken as applying to the mourning dove from the 

 reference given to Edwards, and its type locality designated as Cuba, 

 where the bird is common. The West Indian race will stand as 

 Zenaldura macroura macroura (Linnaeus), with Columba marginata 

 Linnaeus, 1766, and Zenaldura macroura bella Palmer and Riley, 

 1902 as synonyms. 



The mourning dove is colored like the Zenaida dove but lacks the 

 white in the wings and has the tail long, narrow and much 

 graduated. 



MELOPELIA ASIATICA ASIATICA (Linnaeus) 



WHITE-WINGED DOVE, ALA BLANCA, TOITRTERELLE AILE-BLANCHE, 

 BALBARIN, BARBARIN 



Columba asiatica Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758. p. 163 (" Indiis "= 

 Jamaica). 



Melopelia leucoptera, Coky, Birds Haiti and San Domingo, Dec, 1884, p. 131 

 (Puerto Plata, specimen) ; Cat. West Indian Birds, 1892, p. 97 (Haiti, Domini- 

 can Republic). — Tippenhauer, Die Insel Haiti, 1892, p. 322 (listed). — Cherrie, 

 Field Columbian Mus., Ornitli. ser., vol. 1, 1896, p. 24 (Mt. Laguneta, speci- 

 men). — Verrill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1909, p. 351 (recorded). 



Melopelia a. asiatica, Beebe, Zool. Soc. Bull., vol. 30, 1927, p. 139 ; Beneath 

 Tropic Seas, 1928, p. 220 (recorded). 



Melopelia asiatica asiatica, Peteks, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 61, 1917, p. 

 407 (Sosua, Rio San Juan).— Bond, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 80, 

 1928, pp. 49S-499 (Haiti, Gonave and Tortue).— Danfoeth, Auk, 1929, p. 366 

 (recorded). 



Fairly common resident in lowlands and lower hills; not known 

 at present from the high interior. 



The white-winged dove is generally distributed through the 

 coastal plain and the lower hills and is seen regularly in travel 

 through the country. The loud cooing calls of the males come from 

 the shelter of trees through the hottest hours of the day, indicating 

 the presence of unseen birds, while frequently a passing dove seen 

 in flight from trail or roadway reveals the flash of white in the wing- 

 that identifies the present species. The white-winged dove is espe- 

 cially partial to mesquite scrubs of the arid sections, particularly 

 where these are intermingled with tree cacti, but ranges also in 

 areas of heavy rainfall. 



In the Dominican Republic Cherrie reports the species from 

 " Mount La Laguneta " a locality that we do not know but assume 

 to be near San Cristobal as there is a skin from that point in the 

 Field Museum. Wetmore found the white-winged dove fairly com- 

 mon in the scrubs bordering the auto road between Comendador and 

 Azua April 30 and May 1, 1927. Occasional birds were seen or 



