EGYPTIAN TURTLE DOVE. 107 



Count Muhle, in his " Ornitliologie Griechenlands/' says, "1 have 

 shot this pretty Dove many times in summer, when drinking with the 

 Common Turtle Dove, but until the last year I had not regarded it 

 as a distinct species." 



Dr. Lindermayer, writing as late as 1860, in his ''Vogel Griechen- 

 lands," says that he has not hitherto found it; but he has had the 

 eggs sent to him which he had mistaken for those of the Bee-eater, 

 until after due inquiry he was set right upon this point by the 

 Baron Konig-Warthausen. The eggs came from Attila. He from this 

 inferred that the Egyptian Dove arrives about the same time as the 

 Common Turtle Dove, breeds at the same places, and goes away with 

 it, by reason of which Lindermayer considers it has been so little 

 noticed. Erhardt does not include it in his list, nor has Kriiper 

 discovered the eggs. There cannot however be any doubt about its 

 occurrence in Greece, because Miihle's description of the bird is very 

 exact. 



The male and female have the head, neck, and throat, a beautiful 

 pink, or flesh-colour, with the feathers under the base of the beak 

 pure white. There is a distmct collar between the throat and the 

 chest of pinky russet, which goes only to the nape, where it becomes 

 blended Avith the colour of the back. From the nape to the rump, 

 and to the edges of the wing coverts on each side, the colour is a 

 rich lustrous russet brown, the scapularies being entirely of this colour, 

 while in those parts at the sides which verge upon the wing coverts, 

 the feathers are each bordered with a brighter russet. Primaries, 

 rump, and upper tail feathers hair brown; upper wing coverts slate 

 grey, lower dark brown; crop and chest a more vinous or darker 

 flesh-colour than the head; abdomen and under tail coverts cream-colour; 

 flanks and under wing coverts slate grey; under part of primaries light 

 brown; under part of tail black at the base, then white, while the 

 grey tips of the other feathers are seen beyond. 



I find marked on the label of my specimen tarsi and feet flesh- 

 colour; irides yellow; bill, bluish black, blue at base. 



My figure is a female from a specimen sent me by the Bev. Canon 

 Tristram, marked "Benyan, Dec. 1st., 1856." The egg is also from 

 a specimen sent me by the same gentleman, marked "V. E.., 1857." 



It has also been figured by Temminck, in his celebrated work upon 

 Pigeons, pi. 45. 



Turtur gelastis, Temminck. — This is only considered a variety of 

 the Common Turtle Dove — a larger bird with a redder-coloured ab- 



