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Dr. A. G. Butlkr,



scapulars more often than not appear of a fiery copper colour in

the living bird, the golden green lustre being only occasionally

visible. The female is perhaps a trifle smaller than the male, has

a rather less prominent forehead and is much less alert and

heavier in her movements: when the two sexes are seen together

one has no hesitation whatever in fixing upon the cock bird. An

immature bird described by Captain Shelley in 1883 ( Ibis p. 322)

exhibited the black bars on the scapulars, wing - coverts, and

secondaries, with which all breeders are familiar in the young

of the Columba.


In 1904 ( Ibis p. 95) Dr. Sharpe calls attention to the fact

that Brehmer’s Dove ( Calopelia brchmeri ) inhabits the same

country as C. puella , and suggests that it may be the young of

the latter species : on the other hand, as the character noted by

Salvadori “ only differs in the metallic spot on the wings being

of a golden coppery, with occasionally a slight green reflection ”

fits in exactly with all the fully adult living specimens which

I have seen ; and as Captain Shelley considers that the two

are not specifically different, and moreover has noted the barred

character of the young in C. puella, it seems far more probable

that, as with other Bronzewings, the metallic markings vary in

individuals. Nevertheless, as C. brehmeri in its total length is

described as considerably smaller than C. puella (a measurement

which one can hardly consider satisfactory when one notes that

the wing is of the same length and the tail only one tenth of an

inch shorter) and that the soft parts differ considerably in colour,

one must either assume that, as is frequently the case, the soft

parts have been incorrectly described by the collectors, and

the taxidermist has produced the difference in length of skins;

or that the two are subspecifically (perhaps locally) distinct, as

has been supposed in the case of the nearly-related Emerald

Doves ( Chalcopelia afra and C. chalcospilos ) in which the soft

parts undoubtedly differ remarkably.*


Although I have been unsuccessful in collating any notes

on the wild life of the Maiden Dove, there is no reason for



* Ill the Museum Catalogue C. chalcospilos is described as the female of C. afra and

•certainly the only example which I possess that has laid eggs is of the green-spotted type,

•whereas the blue-spotted form undoubtedly coos, but both sexes do this.



