PIGEONS. 249 



great affection for each other, and should one die, the survivor exhibits his sorrow by 

 mournful cooing, and searches diligently for his companion. Like others of this 

 group, the turtle-dove feeds on seeds of various kinds, and grain, and inhabits districts 

 where fresh water is obtainable ; always, when desirous of quenching its thirst, alight- 

 ing near the water in some open spot, and then walking down to the edge of the 

 stream or pond. The nest, a slight platform of twigs, is placed upon some convenient 

 branch, on which the two white eggs are deposited. 



A very pretty species of Turtur is the T. semitorquatus (separated by some authors 

 in a genus, Streptopelid)^ from Senegal and the Gambia. The crown is bluish-ash, a 

 black semi-collar on back of neck ; under plumage vinaceous ; belly and vent white 

 back, wings, and tail grayish-brown ; a broad black bar crosses the tail, which is broad 

 and rounded, with the basal half black. A close ally to this last is the T. albiventris, 

 from South Africa, very similar in plumage, but with the outside tail-feathers white. 

 This is a very abundant species, and bred, at least at one time, within the precincts of 

 Cape Town. 



Without any very technical distinctions the doves are a well-marked group, the 

 chief character being the form of the tail. Their colors, though pleasing and harmo- 

 nious, lack the brilliant and often bright hues of the pigeons. They have a graceful 

 shape and small heads ; the tail lengthened, rounded, or graduated. 



Macropygia, containing about two dozen species, is confined to India, the Ma- 

 layan islands, and those of the eastern archipelago, and Australia. The birds are dis- 

 tinguished by their long, broad tails, are fruit-eaters to a certain extent, but also feed 

 on the ground, and in their color and general appearance more resemble doves 

 than pigeons. The genus has been subdivided by various authors into several 

 genera or sub-genera, such as Coccyzura, Turaccena, Iteimcardtoena, and Strepto- 

 pdia, but for the present any consideration of these is unnecessary. The M. rein- 

 icardtsi, from the Moluccan and Papuan islands, is one of the finest of this group. It 

 has the forehead and sides of the head, neck, and middle of the breast pure white, 

 all the rest of head and body ashy white ; back, scapulars, and two middle tail- 

 feathers reddish-chestnut ; primaries black ; other tail-feathers are ash-color, with 

 black bases, and a black bar near the tip. There is also a nude skin around the eye. 

 Feet red. Total length about twenty inches. The general appearance of this bird is 

 very handsome, and the long graduated tail gives a very graceful shape to the body. 

 It is found in several of the Papuan and Moluccan islands. 



Another, M. modesta, from Timor, is also a striking species of very different ap- 

 pearance from the one just described. It is, as its name implies, dressed in subdued 

 colors, but there are, over the general leaden hue of its plumage, metallic reflections of 

 green and purple. A lemon-yellow skin surrounds the eye, and the iris itself is red. 

 M. leptogrammica, from Java, is very different again from both the species given, 

 having the top of head and back or mantle metallic green with purple reflections; 

 similar but brighter reflections are seen upon the throat and breast. The back, wing- 

 coverts, rump, and the six large feathers of the tail are ferruginous, banded trans- 

 versely with black. The other tail-feathers are ashy at their base, then black, and 

 tipped with grayish blue ; the tail is long and graduated ; the throat and belly are 

 pale lilac, and under tail-coverts red. The total length is fifteen inches. This species 

 lives on the summit of high rocky elevations in wooded districts, and feeds on peppers 

 and grain and various aromatic seeds, which communicate to the flesh a very agree- 

 able taste, causing it to be highly esteemed for food. 



