BRITISH BIRDS. 



321 



THE TURTLE DOVE. 



(Colnmba Turtur, Linn. Colombc Tourtcrcllc, 

 Temm.) 



LENGTH somewhat more than twelve inches. 

 Bill brown, eyes yellow, encompassed with a crim- 

 son circle ; top of the head ash-grey, mixed with 

 olive ; each side of the neck is marked with a 

 spot of black feathers, tipped with white ; the back 

 is ash-grey, each feather margined with reddish 

 brown ; wing coverts and scapulars reddish brown, 

 spotted with black ; quill feathers dusky, edges 

 pale ; the fore part of the neck and the breast are 

 light purplish red ; the belly, thighs, and vent 

 white ; the two middle feathers of the tail brown, 

 the others dusky, tipped with \vhite, the two outer- 

 most also edged with the same : legs red. One of 

 these birds, which was sent us by the Rev. Henry 



VOL. i. 2 s 



