STARNOENAS CYANOCEPHALA. 343 



ing it, and a short time after, while looking for them again, T had the ill luck to run a cactus 

 spine, some three inches long, into my knee, the point entering between the small bones, 

 where it broke; as a consequence, I was confined to the house for nearly two weeks. This 

 occurred during the second week in November and when I rendered sufficiently to again 

 enter the resort which I have described, I could not find the Doves, so concluded that they 

 had migrated. 



Although I was not near enough (o identify these birds beyond a doubt, I am convinced 

 that they were the Key West Doves. Shortly after this, I was informed by Mr. Joseph 

 Brown who was then mayor of the city of Key West and who had lived on the place for 

 many years, tha! he had known Audnbon when he was on the island and that this ornithol- 

 ogist had taken the Key West Pigeons near the place where I saw the Doves in question. 

 Mr. Brown also informed me that Doves of all the species which now occur on the island, 

 were much more common then than now, for the island was thickly covered with a heavy 

 grow th of timber, whereas, at the present time, there is scarcely a tree in the wilder section, 

 over twenty feet high. 



GENUS V. STARNOENAS. THE QUAIL DOVES. 



GKX. CH. Bil!, rcry short. Tail, but little rounded, short, and broad. Winys, also short and notpointed. Tarsus, 

 not hint/. 



Members of this genus dc^elv re-emble the Quails in general appearance, being stout and round in form, with short 

 wings a ad tail. Then,' has boen but one species taken within our limits. 



STARNOENAS CYANOCEPHALA. 



Blue-headed Dove. 

 Slarnoenas cyanocephala BON., List; 1838. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, robust. Size, quite large. Tail, short and but little rounded. Wings, short. Tarsus, moderately 

 short and stout. Si-xe-. quite similar in color. 



>. Ailu/t. Above, and on -Mrs and flunks, chocolate-brown, overwashed with olivaceous. Top of head, blue, 

 banded bi'luw with a line of black \\ !;ir-h becomes quite wide on occiput and narrow in front. Sides of head and forehead, 

 black, with a white lino passing from chin, beneath eye, toocciput. Throat, black, bordered with white Iwlow. Remain- 

 ing lower portions, reddish-brown, becoming lighter on the middle of breast and darker on the under tail coverts. The 

 tail f< athers are overwashed with bluish on outer webs. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



This species may be readily known by the short tail, robust form, and colors as described. Found only by Audubon 

 on the Florida Keys; resident in the West Indies. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from the West Indies. Length, 11-60; stretch, 17-25; wing, 5-50; tail, 4'40; bill, 



55; tarsus, 1'30. Longe-i ^ imen, l'J'50; greatest extent of wing, 17'50; longest winir. .VCrfl; tail, -I'.iO; bill, <><>; tarsus, 



1'35. Shortest specimen, 10-70; smallest extent of wing, 17'00; shortest wing, 5'40; tail, 4'30; bill, '50; tarsus, 1-85. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



.'.t, placed on the ground or in trees or bushes and when in the two latter named situations, they arc composed of 

 stick-, carelessly arranged: when on the ground but little material is u*ed. 



Eyys, one or two in number, varying from elliptical to oval in form, and pure white in color, with the surface very 

 smooth. Dimensions from l'05x 1-40 to l-lOzl'43. 





