AVES PERISTERID^. 4I 



Coliuiiba [Zenaida) aurita, Burm. J. f. O. 1858, p. 160 (Mendoza). 



Fig. 21. 



Zenaida auriailata. Pro- 

 file head and neck. Natural 



General description. 



Size. — Total length, 9 to 10 inches. 



Wing, 5.5 to 6.25 inches. 



Tail, 3.75 to 4.5 inches. 



Bill, 0.55 to 0.6 inches. 



Tarsus, 0.85 to 0.9 inches. 



The female is smaller than the male. 



Color. — General coloration throughout vinous 

 dove color. Lightest below and darkest above. 



Head : Crown of head and occiput grayish, the 

 rest vinous dove color with a metallic blackish 

 blue spot behind the eye, and a larger spot, some- 

 what elongate in shape below the ear coverts. 



Neck vinous dove color, with an area on each 

 side of metallic purple having golden iridescence 

 and reflections. 



Back and upper parts heavily shaded into olive brown. 



Wings : Coverts olive brown like back. There are many iryegitlar black 

 spots of variable size on the outer webs of the inner upper wing coverts, 

 and on the outer webs of scapulars and tertials. The quills are dusky 

 brown with narrow lighter brown and buffy edges on their outer webs 

 and tips. 



Tail, from above : Two middle feathers like the back, with an indication 

 of a subterminal black bar. The next two gray with a strong brownish 

 tinge and a marked subterminal black bar. The rest grayish with some 

 brownish washing, and subterminal black bars. The tips in these is 

 clear gray, with a tendency to become whitish which grows stronger, 

 culminating in the two outer ones. The outer feather is tipped broadly 

 with white and its outer web is white, breaking the subterminal black 

 bar. The second feather of the tail has simply a broad grayish white tip. 

 From below the tail unopened appears black with a broad white tip. 



Lower parts : vinous dove color paling almost to white on the throat ; 

 the sides, flanks and under wing coverts are dove gray ; and the under 

 tail coverts and abdomen are decidedly buffy in color. 



