THE GROUND PIGEONS 2149 



The last genus, characterized by having the front of the legs cov- 

 ered by six-sided scales, contains only the blue-bearded Cuban dove 

 Cuban Dove 



{Starn&nas cyanocephala) , figured on p 2148. The general color of 



this bird is olive brown above, and dull rusty beneath ; the top of the head being 

 blue margined with black, and a broad white stripe running below the eye, while 

 the feathers of the throat and breast are black, tipped with blue and narrowly mar- 

 gined with white. 



As a well-known representative of the fourth subfamily {Phabind) 

 of this assemblage, may be mentioned the Cape dove (sna capensis], 

 which is the sole member of its genus. The subfamily includes a dozen genera, 

 and about double that number of species, all of which are confined to the 

 Old World ; their essential characteristics being their relatively-large size, and 

 the presence of blue or green spots or patches on the wings. In the first four gen- 

 era there are two dark bands across the rump. The Cape dove, which may be rec- 

 ognized by its long wedge-shaped tail, with the middle feathers more than twice as 

 long as the outer pair, ranges all over Tropical and Southern Africa, as well as Mad- 

 agascar and Arabia. It occurs in pairs, and is chiefly found on the ground ; and 

 when disturbed, seeks shelter in low trees and bushes, but rarely in larger trees. 

 The nest is placed in a low bush, and the two white eggs have a rosy tint, caused 

 by the thinness and semitransparency of the shell. The next three genera have 

 the tail moderately long and more or less rounded ; and while Tympanistria has the 

 first primary pointed, in Chalcopelia and Chalcophaps\ti\ feather is normal in shape. 

 The white- breasted wood dove, the only representative of the genus Tympanistria, 

 inhabits the whole of South Africa as well as Madagascar, the Comoro islands and 

 Fernando Po. 



The African ground dove (Chalopelia afra), the solitary representa- 

 African Ground,. r ., ' . jj-,. ^1. i. .. u 



tiveor its genus, in addition to the characteristics given, may be rec- 

 ognized by the boldly-marked patches of metallic steel blue or golden 

 green adorning the wings. Inhabiting the whole of Africa south of about 17 north 

 latitude, it is met with in Abyssinia among bushes and thick underwood, and in the 

 jungles along the banks of water courses. It is figured on p. 2144. 



The six bronze- winged doves (Ckafaptera), distinguished by having 



*. . the upper wing coverts metallic golden green, are mostly inhabitants 



Doves f tne Indo-Malayan and Australian regions; the Indian species (C. 



indica), ranging from India to Western New Guinea, having the top 



of the head and hind-neck dark gray, the white forehead and eyebrow stripes of the 



male less distinct in the female, and the middle of the back and shoulder feathers 



golden green like the wing coverts. This dove is not uncommon in the well-wooded 



portions of Tenasserim, where it is found singly or in pairs in thick forest or 



very shady gardens. Omitting mention of several genera, we come to two Australian 



species, in which the beak is feeble, and the tail has sixteen feathers. 



The common bronze-winged dove (Phaps chalcoptera) is generally distributed 

 all over Australia, and differs from its ally, P. elegans, in having the throat white 

 instead of chestnut, and the breast vinous; while in the latter this part is gray. It 

 is a plump, heavy bird, weighing fully a pound when in good condition. Its amazing 



