142 COLUMBINE. 



a pleasing, soft, murmuring sound, which causes one to experience by 

 anticipation the languid summer feeling in his veins. 



The nest, as in other Pigeons, is a simple platform of slender sticks ; 

 the eggs are oval, white, and two in number. The birds appear to breed 

 by preference near a human habitation, and do so probably for the sake of 

 the protection afforded them ; for the Chimango and other birds of prey 

 destroy their eggs and young to a large extent. 



One summer a Torcasa laid an egg in the nest of one of my Pigeons, 

 built on the large horizontal branch of a tree at some distance from the 

 dove-cote. The egg was hatched, and the young bird reared by its foster- 

 parents ; and when able to fly it took. up its abode along with the other 

 Pigeons. The following spring it began to separate itself from its com- 

 panions, and would fly to the porch, and sit there cooing by the hour 

 every day. At length it went away to the plantation, having, I believe, 

 found a mate, and we saw no more of it. 



360. METRIOPELIA MELANOPTERA (Mol.). 

 (BLACK-WINGED DOVE.) 



Metriopelia melanoptera, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 496 (Cordilleras) ; 

 Scl. et Salv. NomencL p. 132. 



Description. Above pale brown ; wings and tail black ; bend of wing white ; 

 wing-coverts like the back : beneath pale vinaceous ; bill and feet black : whole 

 length 8'0 inches, wing 5'0, tail 3'5. Female similar. 



Hab. Andes of South America. 



This Dove is widely diffused in Western South America from Ecuador 

 to Chili. Dr. Burmeister tells us that it is found in the high valleys of 

 the Cordilleras on the Argentine side, from 6000 to 12,000 feet in 

 altitude, and along with Phrygilus fruticeti is one of the birds seen at 

 the greatest altitudes by the traveller over the passes of the Andes. 

 One of Dr. Burmeister's specimens is in the collection of Messrs. 

 Salvin and Godman. 



361. METRIOPELIA AYMARA (Knip et Prev.). 

 (AYMARA DOVE.) 



Metriopelia aymara, Scl. et Salv. NomencL p. 132. Coluxnbina aurisqua- 

 xnata, Leybold, Leopoldina, viii. p. 53 (1873). 



Description. Above pale brown ; wings and tail black ; wing-coverts like the 

 back ; some of the middle coverts with bright golden apical spots : beneath pale 

 vinaceous ; throat whitish ; middle of belly and crissum pale cinnamomeous ; 



