THE TURTLE-DOVE PATTERN IN THE PHYLOGENY OF I'K.I.<i\>. 



93 



in having barred feathers along the sides of the abdomen. But G. tranciuilla 

 seems to stand lowest (1) in having bars all around the neck; (2) in size; and (3) 

 in having one bar less on the barred feathers. 



Geopelia humeralis represents the highest type of the banded or barred geope- 

 lias, as is seen in a comparison of the adults of the several species; the same thing 

 is still better shown in the juvenile feathers. Only the diamond-dove (G. cune<il>n 

 represents a still higher type. 



The adult G. humeralis shows a considerable regional diversity which in all 

 respects is much more faintly expressed in the juvenal plumage. The back and sid-s 

 of the neck are bright rufous, each feather being edged with black. This corre- 

 sponds to the "ring" of the ring-doves and to the neck-spots of the turtle-doves. 

 The feathers are arranged in rows, which are plainer in the young. Those of the 





TEXT-FIGURE 20. Wing of juvenal Geopelia humeralis, age 30 days. Natural size. 



Hayashi del., July 1899. 



The third row is covered except for 4 upper feathers. The oblique streak consists 

 of two rows of black-tipped feathers, in front of which is one row of feathers thai have 

 little or no yellow tips. Some new feathers have appeared near lower edge of scapulars. 



crown and occiput have a black edge, but the fulvous part is there reduced to a 

 pale fulvous band next to the black edge. The breast and front of the neck are 

 without the barring (pi. 40, fig. A) characteristic of this region in all of the lower 

 species maugei, striata, tranquilla. 



The juvenal Geopelia humeralis illustrates the biogenetic law in the breast - 

 feathers and in the pale bands at the edge of the feathers (pi. 41, fig. A). The feathers 

 of the head, neck, breast, wing-coverts, and back are all edged with pale whitish; 

 this is slightly tinged with fulvous on the scapulars. These light edge-bands point 

 to the turtle-dove type. 40 In front they are followed by a band of black which be- 

 comes terminal in the adult feathers (text-fig. 22), the light edge there failing to 

 develop. Even in the juvenal feathers the light edge is rudimentary in some of 

 the tertials and scapulars, and often so imperfect as to appear to be wearing off 

 (see pi. 41 and text-figs. 20, 21). The pale edges run clear over the forehead, where 

 all becomes gray in the adult. 



40 The under side of an adolescent Turtur orienlalis is here described for comparison with the coloration of the 

 lower parts of Geopelia humeralis: The upper breast and front of neck dusky brown, with a suggestion of grayish 

 tinge. This part is more or less clear gray in G. hunifrnlifi. The edgex of the feathers arc slightly paler than the body 

 of the feathers. The lower breast, at the same level at which G. liuini-nilix becomes decidedly lighter, becomes lighter 

 here also; the color being dull vinous, clearest along the sides under or at lower edge of wing and becoming still 

 lighter along the middle of the abdomen, where we catch a shade reminding of the fulvous color seen in (1. humrrali.t. 

 The color fades gradually into whitish in the region of the vent. The under tail-coverts are gray. 



