4616 THE ZooLoGisT—SEPTEMBER, 1875. 
colony. We have not a specimen by us, but the general colour is 
cinereous, and its size is about twelve inches. When the grain is 
ripe the farmer has to look very sharp after his crops, as these birds 
do much damage, alighting in great numbers on the fields, and 
even when the corn begins to shoot they will pull it up; for this 
reason we have more than once had to replant large portions of our 
land. These birds are easily shot; a single discharge will frequently 
knock over several when on the ground engaged in feeding. An 
egg brought to us was white; in size rather smaller than that of 
the cushat. 
Ringed Turtle Dove (Turtur capicola).—The ringed turtle dove 
is closely related to the bird that we have kept in cages in 
England, and that can be bought at any bird dealer’s: it breeds 
readily in confinement. It is about a foot long, although much 
slighter than the last-mentioned species: the wings and tail are 
very long, the latter being five and a half inches in length; its 
general colour is dark vinaceous, lighter on the breast and belly ; 
collar round the neck black; top of head cinereous; basal half 
of tail dark brown, outer cinereous. It goes in pairs, and is 
seen in all parts of the bush, where its well-known soft cooing 
can nearly always be heard. Like the preceding, it feeds largely 
on grain. 
Turtle Dove (Peristera chalcospilos).—The turtle dove is a 
charming little dove, only seven and a half inches in length. The 
colour of the male is gray-brown on the back and wings, barred 
with black on the rump and tail, blotched on the wings with shining 
green; quill-feathers red, edged with dark brown; under plumage 
very light vinaceous; top of head ash. Female—upper parts reddish 
brown, barred with orange; breast the same, but lighter; throat 
and belly pure white. Its low monotonous “coo” is heard during 
the heat of the day, when nearly every other bird is silent in the 
woods. If guided by its notes, it is not easily discovered, as, pos- 
sessing the power of ventriloquism, it sounds much further off than 
it really is. The turtle dove is naturally half tame, and even the 
old birds when caught become soon contented and happy in con- 
finement. A neighbour of ours has a large aviary full of them, 
which he caught in his garden, where they came attracted by the 
fruit of his mulberry fences. We have found their nests in mimosa 
and other low trees, on which they make a small platform of sticks 
and lay two yellowish white eggs. 
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