380 PIGEONS AND SAND-GROUSE. 



summer or even on warm days in winter. Six small species, ranging from the 

 Southern United States to South America, represent the second genus (Chamce- 

 pelia), which has a tail shorter than the length of the wing and rounded at the 

 extremity, the middle feathers being longer than the outer ones. The remaining 

 genera may be passed over without notice. 



The South African cinnamon-dove (Haplopelia larvata) may be 

 Cinnamon Dove. . * 



taken as a well-known representative of another subfamily of ground- 

 doves (Geotrygonince), which contains more than seventy species of somewhat 

 partridge-like birds with no well-defined metallic spots or bands, although a violet 

 patch may be present near the bend of the wing. The metatarsus is stout and 

 longer than the third toe, and in the short and rounded wings the primaries exceed 

 the secondaries in length. Of the nine recognised genera, the one above mentioned, 

 which has six African species, is characterised by the primary feathers being broad 

 and not tapering to a point, while in the remaining eight they are narrow and 

 more or less pointed. The cinnamon-dove is distinguished from its allies by having 

 the forehead white, the top of the head, hind-neck, chest, and upper-breast metallic 

 coppery purple, the back and wings olive-brown, and the abdomen and under tail- 

 coverts pale cinnamon. The Zamoen Duif , as the colonists call this bird, is common 

 in the dense bush along the coast of Natal, where its brown colouring renders it 

 difficult to detect as it sits motionless among the dense creepers. It never appears 

 in the open, and is generally to be seen on the ground beneath the trees, silently 

 and busily searching for food. Of the remaining genera with narrow primaries, 

 two have the outermost pointed at the extremity ; and of these, Leptoptila is dis- 

 tinguished by having the tail equal to more than half the length of the wing. The 

 species range from Texas through Mexico and Central America to Peru and 

 Argentina, and may be divided into a long-tailed and a short-tailed group. Two 

 handsome species form the genus Osculatea, in which the length of the tail is less 

 than half that of the wing. In the six following genera, the first primary is not 

 pointed at the tip ; the first five agreeing with one another in having the front of 

 the metatarsus covered with transverse scales ; while, in the three genera to be 

 next mentioned, the tail is composed of less than twenty feathers. The Central 

 and South American genus, Geotrygon, is also characterised by its rather short tail 

 of twelve feathers. Another genus, Phlogcenas, differs from the above in having 

 fourteen feathers in the tail. More than twenty species are known, some of which 

 Blood-Breasted are remarkably handsome birds, but none more so than the blood- 

 Dove, breasted dove (P. luzonica), from the Philippines, represented in the 

 woodcut on p. 381. The forehead and crown are pale grey ; the top of the head, upper- 

 parts, and sides of the breast dark grey, the feathers being edged with metallic 

 purple and green ; the cheeks, throat, and breast white shading into buff below ; and 

 there is a large patch of blood-red on the middle of the breast. The quills are 

 reddish brown, there are six alternate bands of grey and chestnut across each wing 

 and a black band near the tip of the outer tail-feathers, The two remaining 

 genera, with the tail composed of less than twenty feathers, are distinguished by 

 the longer tail. 



Wonga-wonga The Australian wonga-wonga (Leucosarcia picata) is the only 



Dove, representative of a genus, distinguished from the seventh (Eutrygon) 



