IMIKI.IMINAKY ( 'I,.\ss| KM.I NoTKS 



TURTLEDOVE [Turtur turtur (Linnaeus); Tnr<r communw, Selby. 

 French, tourttrdU ; German, TurUllavbe. ; lUlian, tortofa]. 



I. Description. The turtle-dove differs conspicuously from its congeners, 

 having the upper part* variegated with cinnamon-brown and black, and a patch 

 of black and white on the side of the neck. The sexes are alike. (PI. 92.) Length 

 1 1 '26 in/ [285-75 mm,]. The head and neck are of a pale bluish ash colour, the latter 

 with a patch of black feathers tipped with white on each side. The wing-coverts and 

 scapulars have broad margins of cinnamon-brown, the centre of the feathers being 

 black. The rump is of a dark bluish grey, the feather* along the centre of this area 

 obscured by broad margins of dull yellowish. The primaries are dark slate colour, 

 with a narrow fringe of dull white along the outer vanes. The centre tail feathers 

 are dusky brown with whitish tips, the rest black, with a broad terminal bar of 

 white ; the outer feathers with white outer webs. The throat and fore-neck are 

 of a pale vinous hue deepening in the breast, while the abdomen and under tail- 

 coverts an white. Around the eye is a circle of bare red skin, the iris is redIi-li 

 brown, and the feet are red. The female resembles the male, but is duller. The 

 juvenile drees differs from that of the adult in being altogether duller, and lacking 

 the black and white patch on the neck, while the under parts are of a dull ash 

 colour with a wash of fulvous brown, [w. p. p.] 



3. Distribution. A regular summer migrant to the southern part of Great 

 Britain, but scarce along the western counties of England and Wales (Cornwall, 

 Pembroke, Carnarvon, etc.), and has only been recorded as nesting on a few occa- 

 sions in the northern counties (Northumberland, Cumberland, and Durham), though 

 a few pairs probably breed in south Scotland. On the Continent it is rare in 

 Scandinavia and Northern Russia, but is distributed over the rest of Europe at 

 well as South-western Asia, while it is replaced by allied subspecific forms in 

 North Africa and other parts of Asia. It* winter haunte are in Northern Africa, 

 and it has occurred as far south as Abyssinia, [r. c. R. J. ] 



3. Migration. A summer visitor. The extent of it British breeding area is 

 indicated in the preceding paragraph : outside this the turtle-dove occurs as a bird 

 of passage or as an irregular visitor. Thus its migrations only occasionally extend 

 to the northern and western isles of Scotland, but Ireland is regularly visited on 

 both passages, pairs occasionally remaining to nest (cf. Saunders, ///. Man. B. B., 

 2nd ed., 1899, pp. 485-486 ; Witherby and Ticehurst. British Birds, ii. pp. 125, 126 ; 



