TURTLE-DOVES. 



269 



round the eye and feet lake-red." (E. Newton.) Female 

 " considerably smaller, the purple patch on the back 

 and wings duller and less extensive, and all her colours 

 are less bright. " (T.H.Newman.) Bab., Madagascar. 

 Probably introduced into Reunion, Mauritius, the Sey- 

 chelles, and Chagos Islands. 



Grandidier says ("History of Madagascar, Birds," 

 Vol. XII., p. 462) : " These Turtle-Doves are very 

 common in all the Island oif Madagascar, particularly in 

 the plantations and cultivated fields, where they are 

 found in pairs, and sometimes in little bands of from 

 six to eight individuals. Like their allies of Europe, 

 they walk well and fly with rapidity without noise ; 

 they make quick turnings to baffle the pursuit of their 

 enemies ; their cooing is soft and monotonous. They 

 feed on grain, and make great ravages in the rice fields 

 at the time of sowing and at the season of harvest. 

 Their flesh is very delicate. Their nest, like that of all 

 pigeons, is flat and roughly made of grasses and small 

 roots ; it is placed in a tree at a low elevation ; their 

 eggs are white, and 'measure 30 mm. by 23. The 

 Malagasy call this Turtle-Dove Demohina, Lemohina, or 

 Diitiohj/.''* 



In The Avicultural Magazine, Second Series, Vol. VI., 

 pp. 79-84, Mr. T. H. Newman has published a most in- 

 structive account of his success in breeding this species 

 in his aviaries. The article is illustrated by a charac- 

 teristic uncoloured plate. Mr. Newman observes : " In 

 shape this is the least graceful of any Turtle-Dove that 

 I have seen, being of a sturdy build, with relatively 

 short tail and longish legs, which (points to the fact 

 that it spends much time on the ground." These 

 characters certainly seem to correspond pretty closely 

 with at least some of those of the Geotrygonince, and 

 to support my view of the affinity of Lewtoptila to 

 Turtur. 



Russ quotes the following observations by Schlegel 

 and Pollen : " It is one of the commonest Doves, and 

 lives in companies of ten to thirty individuals in culti- 

 vated neighbourhoods. Its flight is very rapid. It 

 feeds upon grain, and at the sowing and reaping of the 

 rice commits great havoc in the fields. Its flesh ie 

 tender and much relished. At Reunion it is still some- 

 what rare, and inhabits the mountain forests, where it 

 is shyer and more difficult to shoot than in Madagascar. 

 Its voice sounds short and monotonous. The nest re- 

 sembles that olf the European Turtle-Dove. It permits 

 itself to be easily tamed, and therefore is much kept in 

 cages by the Creoles." 



Two specimens of this Dove reached the London Zoo- 

 logical Gardens in 1866, and one in 1867. Russ says 

 that it is extremely rare at the present dav, and only 

 arrives singly in the German market. Mr. Newman saw 

 those from which his pair was selected advertised as 

 " Aldabra Doves," which, however, they proved not to 

 be. 



ALDABRAN TURTLE-DOVE (Turtur alddbranus). 



Upper surface mostly brown, slightly olivaceous ; 

 upper mantle vinous ; lesser upper wing-coverts chest- 

 nut ; lateral tail-feathers with a broad pale terminal 

 belt, becoming nearly white on the outside feathers ; 

 head, neck, and breast, as well as front of abdomen, 

 vinous ; feathers on back and sides of neck iblack at 

 base and lilacine at tips ; centre of abdomen and under 

 tail-coverts white ; flankis broadly greyish-brown ; 

 under wing-coverts rufescerit brown ; axillaries greyish- 

 brown ; tail below black, with a broad terminal greyish- 

 white belt ; bill lead-colour tipped with yellowish ; feet 

 flesh -colour ; irides red. Female smaller. Hab., Alda- 

 bra Island. 



Mr. C. E. Bewsher says (cf. "Proceedings of the 



* Quoted from Mr. Newman's interesting article. 



Zoological Society," 1877, p. 300) that the nearly 

 related T. comorensis is common in woods, and that its 

 native name is 'Shukerron Dhungow. 



T. aldabranus was described and figured by Dr. 

 Sclater in 1871 from a pair of Doves presented to the 

 Zoological Society of London in June of that year. Dr. 

 Sclater says ("Proceedings of the Zoological Society," 

 1871, pp. 692, 693) : "The pair of this Dove which Mr. 

 Newton sent us were in good health ; but the hen had 

 an injured wing, which prevented her from flying off 

 the ground. Notwithstanding this, when placed in the 

 large Western Aviary, they quickly showed symptoms 

 of breeding, and about three weeks after their arrival 

 built a nest in the interior of the compartment assigned 

 to them. A few days after this, as our head keeper, Mr. 

 B. Misselbrook, informs me, two eggs were laid, and 

 incubation was commenced, the male taking turns with 

 the female on the nest. In sixteen days one young one 

 was hatched, on the 17th or 18th of July, and is still 

 living in the aviary. The other egg turned out to be 

 addled ; and I now exhibit its shell, which, like that 

 Of all Pigeons, is of a spotless white. It measures 

 1.35 inch by .95 inch. About the end of September the 

 hen sickened and died." 



Russ observes that " our German bird-dealers only 

 occasionally advertise this Dove " ! He does not men- 

 tion a single aviculturist or foreign Zoological Society 

 which has possessed it, and it is quite liEely that the 

 birds advertised were not Aldabran, but Madagascar 

 Turtle-Doves. 



HALF-COLLARED TURTLE-DOVE (Turtur semitorquatus). 



The adult male has the crown grey, tinted with 

 reddish-buff in front and at the sides, the forehead being 

 almost white ; rest of head, neck, and chest pink, paler 

 on the chin and throat ; a broad black collar partly 

 grey-margined at the back of the neck ; the back, inner 

 half of upper wing-coverts, inner secondaries, and two 

 centre tail-feathers olivaceous brown ; outer wing-coverts 

 bluish slate -coloured ; rump washed with grey ; bastard 

 wing and primary -coverts blackish ; primaries similar 

 but partly edged with a paler tint ; outer secondaries 

 dark grey ; lateral tail-feathers 'brownish-grey with a 

 blackish central belt and bluish tips; flanks, abdomen, 

 thighs, and under tail-coverts leaden grey ; under wbig- 

 coverts darker ; tail below black at base, but paie grey 

 towards the extremity ; feet lake-red ; bill blackish ; 

 iris reddish -orange. 



The female is very like the male, but the forehead is 

 not so white ; it is possible to note the difference when 

 the sexes sit side by side. Africa generally from about 

 14 N. lat. southwards. In its wild state this bird 

 usually nests in the forks of Acacias or silk trees during 

 and after the rainy season ; it feeds on stone-fruits, 

 berries, grain, and small seeds. 



In Stark and Sclater's " Birds of South Africa," 

 Vol. IV., p. 168, we read: "The Woodwards state as 

 follows : ' These Doves are very common throughout the 

 country, and their loud and pleasant cooing is heard 

 wherever there is any cover for them during the warmer 

 months of the year. They are sometimes seen in large 

 flocks, but, as a rule, go about in pairs, and feed prin- 

 cipally on tree berries. The natives have no love for 

 these "birds, as they devour a considerable quantity of 

 grain during the planting seas'On ; but there would not 

 be much loss if care were taken to plant the seed 

 deeper. They get very fat during the summer, and 

 are excellent eating. This Dove lays its two white 

 eggs on a few sticks, which are merely an apology for 

 a nest, generally placed in a low tree." 



" Two eggs taken near Durban on June 1, by Mr. 

 A. D. Millar, now in the South African Museum, are 



