TURTUR 651 



In habits it does not differ from T. senegalensis, and like that 

 species makes a very slight nest. Its coo, is said to be a low 

 subdued, musical, dissyllabic sound, repeated four or five times 

 successively. Its eggs, which, like those of its congeners, are 

 pure white, are deposited late in February or early in March, 

 and vary in size from O95 by 0'75 to T02 by 0'77. 



902. SURAT TURTLE-DOVE. 



TURTUR SURATENSIS. 



Turtur sumtensis (Gmel.), S.yst. Nat. i. p. 778 (1788) ; Salvador!, Cat. B. 

 Br. Mus. xxi. p. 444 ; Blanf. F. Brit.lnd. Birds, iv. p. 43. 



Chitroka fakhta, Hindu. 



ad. (India). Head and nape vinous, forehead bluish ; lower hind 

 neck black closely spotted with white ; upper parts brownish spotted with 

 warm buff, the spots fading on the lower back and rump, which latter is 

 tinged with blue ; outer edge of wing dove-blue, with long blackish 

 terminal spots ; quills and middle tail feathers brown, the other tail 

 feathers blackish slate on the basal and bluish on the terminal half, the 

 two outer feathers on each side white on the terminal half ; chin whitish ; 

 neck, breast, and upper abdomen rosy vinous, fading to whitish on lower 

 abdomen ; under tail-coverts white ; bill dull blackish plumbeous ; legs 

 dark purplish red ; iris dark hazel surrounded by a reddish sclerotic ; 

 orbital skin red. Culmen 0'8, wing 5*4, tail 5-3, tarsus 0'85 inch. Female 

 rather smaller. Young duller and lacking the black and white on the 

 hind neck. 



Hob. Afghanistan, the Himalaya up to 7,000 feet ; India 

 and Ceylon. 



Frequents well-wooded districts and gardens, and has a 

 plaintive trisyllabic note. It breeds throughout the year, in 

 Northern India from October to May, placing its slight nest of 

 sticks on a bush or low tree, and lays 2 pure white eggs, which 

 measure about T06 by 0'82. 



903. RED TURTLE-DOVE. 

 TURTUR TRANQUEBARICUS. 



Turtur tranquebaricus (Herm.), Obs. Zool. p. 200 (1804) ; Salvadori, Cat. 

 B. Br. Mus. xxi. p. 437 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 47 ; 

 Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 163 ; T. humilis (Temm.), PI. Col. pi. 259 

 (1824) ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 388 ; Salvadori, torn. cit. 

 p. 434; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 738; Berez. and Bianchi, Ptitz. 

 Gan-su, p. 29. 



