STOCK DOVE. 297 



their notes of communication, published in the Society's 

 Proceedings, that it is common in that locality ; it is also 

 common in the Deccan. 



The beak is reddish orange ; the irides scarlet ; head, 

 neck, back, scapulars, and both sets of wing-coverts, bluish 

 grey ; primary quill -feathers lead grey, the external margin 

 lighter ; the secondaries pearl grey at the base of the outer 

 web, the ends lead grey ; the tertials bluish grey, the last 

 three with a single lead grey spot on the outer web, some- 

 times a similar spot on the wing-covert feather above ; but 

 these spots do not form a band in any position of the 

 wing ; rump and upper tail-coverts French-grey ; tail- 

 feathers twelve, the basal two-thirds bluish grey, then a 

 narrow band of lighter grey, the ends lead grey ; the basal 

 portion of the outer web of the outside tail-feather on each 

 side almost white ; chin bluish grey ; sides of the neck 

 glossy with green reflections ; breast purple red ; belly, 

 flanks, vents, under wing and under tail-coverts French- 

 grey ; legs and toes red ; claws brown. 



The whole length of a female is thirteen inches. From 

 the carpal joint to the end of the wing, eight inches and 

 three-eighths ; the first and fourth quill-feathers nearly 

 equal in length, and a little shorter than the second and 

 third, which are also nearly equal, and the longest in the 

 wing. 



The male and female differ but little in plumage ; but 

 the male is the larger bird, and his colours are more 

 brilliant. 



Young birds before their first moult have no shining 

 metallic feathers in the neck, and they are also without 

 any spots on the last tertial feathers of the wing, or on the 

 wing-covert above. 



