202 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



from Gonave Island are very faintly paler than birds from Haiti 

 proper but not sufficiently to merit more than casual notice. Several 

 from Tortue Island are duller, less pinkish below and decidedly 

 darker above, a difference that seems to be due to wear and stain 

 on the feathers. One from Saona Island is the same as that of 

 Hispaniola. 



The ground-dove is distinguished from all others of its family by 

 tiny size as it is only a little larger than a sparrow. The male is 

 pinkish brown on breast and forehead and gray above, with the 

 breast flecked with black and the wings spotted with metallic blue. 

 The female does not have the reddish color on the breast and the 

 wing spottings are paler. Both sexes have the under surface of the 

 wings deep cinnamon brown. 



CHAEMEPELIA PASSERINA NAVASSAE Wetmore 

 NAVASSA GROUND-DOVE 



Chaemepelia passerina navassae Wetmore, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 

 43, September 26, 1930, p. 149 (Navassa Island). 



Chamaepelia passerina, Ekman, Ark. for Bot, vol. 22 A, no. 16, 1929, p. 7 

 (Navassa). 



Chaemepelia passerina aflavlda, Lonnbebg, Fauna och Flora, 1929, p. 101 

 (Navassa, specimen). 



Navassa Island; resident. 



The first specimens of this dove recorded are three pairs taken by 

 R. H. Beck, July 16 and 17, 1917, for the American Museum of Nat- 

 ural History. Through the kindness of Dr. F. M. Chapman these 

 were examined during work on the Haitian collections in the Ameri- 

 can Museum when it was observed that they seemed slightly paler 

 than typical insularis. As these birds were all in much worn plumage, 

 it was decided after somewhat lengthy comparisons that this differ- 

 ence might be due to fading, so that it was considered that they were 

 not sufficient basis to warrant naming the Navassa bird as a distinct 

 race. On May 10, 1930, Lee Parish visited Navassa in his yacht 

 Esperanza on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution when two males 

 and three females of the ground-dove were obtained by S. W. Parish 

 and W. M. Perrygo. These birds which came to hand as this report 

 was in press are in fresh, unworn plumage, and have been sufficient to 

 indicate that the bird of Navassa differs from that of Haiti in paler 

 coloration and in slightly smaller size. It is interesting to note that 

 its variation is in the direction of G. p. exigua of Mona Island. 



This dove was also collected on Navassa by E. L. Ekman. 



Following are measurements from all of the birds seen : 



Males, five specimens, wing 79.6-82.0 (80.9), tail 51.6-57.5 (54.8), 

 culmen with cere 9.8-10.8 (10.2), tarsus 14.8-16.0 (15.2) mm. 



