PARTRIDGE DOVE. 321 



Martinica of Temminck, and not his montana ; the 

 Pigeon roux de Cayenne of Buffon, and not his P. de 

 la Martinique; and that it is not the montana of 

 Audubon ; provided the descriptions and figures 

 of these naturalists faithfully represent their ori- 

 ginals. 



This bird, the female of which is the least beau- 

 tiful ol all our Doves, is generally scattered. It 

 affects a well-wooded country, and is found in such 

 woods as are more choked with bushes than such 

 as the Whitebelly prefers ; though they often dwell 

 together. It is essentially a ground-pigeon, walking 

 in couples or singly, seeking for seeds or gravel 

 on the earth. It is often seen beneath a pimento 

 picking up the fallen berries; the physic-nut also 

 and other oily seeds afford it sustenance. Sam once 

 observed a pair of these Doves eating the large 

 seed of a mango, that had been crushed. With 

 seeds, I have occasionally found small slugs, a species 

 of Vaginulus, common in damp places, in its giz- 

 zard. Often when riding through the Cotta-wood, 



1, middle toe 1-j^y. Irides golden yellow ; feet flesh-colour, front of 

 tarsi bright red ; beak reddish horn-colour, base dark-red ; naked skin of 

 face blue, red in the centre ; edge of eyelids scarlet. 



Male. Upper parts bright chestnut, more or less flushed with a purple 

 iridescence, chiefly on neck and back. Breast pale purplish-brown, 

 softened to white on throat and chin ; a band of deep chestnu truns for- 

 ward from the ear to the throat. Belly and under tail-coverts, buff- 

 white. 



Female. Upper parts dark olive, glossed ; a few (sometimes nearly all) 

 of the feathers tipped with bay ; head rather browner. Wing-quills 

 blackish : tail blackish, outmost feather tipped with white, a broad spot of 

 chestnut on the inner web. Throat whitish ; breast and sides dusky ; 

 under parts reddish-white. 



p 5 



