338 ZENAIDA DOVE. 



low shrub abundant in the Keys where they are found. The flower has 

 a musty scent, and is of short duration. 



This species resorts to certain wells, which are said to have been dug 

 by pirates, at a remote period. There the Zenaida Doves and other 

 birds are sure to be seen morning and evening. The loose sand thrown 

 up about these wells suits them well to dust in, and clean their apparel. 



CoLUMBA Zenahja, Ch. Bonaparte, Synods, of Birds of the United States, p. 119, and 

 Amer. Ornith. voL ii. pi. 15. fig. 2 Nuttall, Manual, part i. p. (j25. 



Adult Male. Plate CLXII. Fig. 1. 



Bill short, straight, rather slender, compressed ; upper mandible with 

 a tumid fleshy covering at the base, a convex, declinate, obtuse tip, of 

 which the margins are acute and overlapping ; lower mandible, with the 

 angle near the extremity, which is compressed and rounded. Nostrils 

 medial, obhque, linear. Head small and compressed ; the general form 

 rather full. Legs short and of moderate strength ; tarsus short, covered 

 anteriorly with four broad scutella at the upper part, and a double series 

 below, rounded and hexagonally reticulated behind ; toes scutellate above, 

 free, margined ; two lateral toes nearly equal, middle one not much longer, 

 hind toe much smaller. 



Plumage rather compact. Wings of moderate length, second and 

 third quills longest, first and fourth equal. Tail rather short, much 

 rounded. 



Bill deep carmine-purple. Iris brown ; bare space surrounding the 

 eye light blue. Feet deep carmine-purple. The general colour of the 

 plumage above is light yellowish-brown tinged with grey. Quills brown- 

 ish-black, narrowly margined with white, seven of the secondaries broadly 

 tipped with the same ; the inner ones of the same colour as the back, but 

 having a broad black spot on the inner web towards the end, which is al- 

 so the case with the tertiaries ; several of the coverts also have a black 

 spot on the outer web. The four lateral tail-feathers on each side are 

 greyish-blue, with a broad black bar towards the end, the extremity grey- 

 ish-white, the four middle feathers of the colour of the back, with a faint 

 dusky bar. The sides of the head and under parts are of a light brown- 

 ish-red, paler on the throat, and passing into greyish-blue on the sides ; 

 under wing-coverts pale bluish-^rey. There is a small spot of deep blue 

 immediately behind the eye, and a larger one a little below on the side 



