NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXIII. 1916. t\f 



(in enormous cloud-like masses), in the country of the Tartars, in Germany and in 

 England. No exact statement is ventured of the occurrence in India, and from the 

 description we can only suppose that it was taken from a cage-bird of the tame 

 race, while the figure might be either the tame or wild Indian or one of two or 

 three African species. Willughby quoted from Aldrovandus, merely adding that 

 he saw these Indian Doves in the King's aviary in Westminster. Ray merely 

 quoted Aldrovandus. 



Then comes Albin, who described " The Turtle-Dove from India," and figured 

 on pi. 45 very clearly the tame domestic form, and who says nothing about its 

 habitat but " They are tame pretty birds, and kept in cages by the curious, in which 

 they will breed and bring up their young." 



It is thus evident that all previous writers quoted by Linnaeus were merely 



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5. dULSOLOvto dMO.O<üto . 



acquainted with the domestic race, of which they supposed that it had come 

 from India. 



For the following reasons the Indian species cannot be the ancestor of the tame 

 Dove : 



(1) The markings on the outer tail-feathers are different. In the Indian 

 wild bird the outer web of the outer tail-feather is grey at least one centimetre 

 beyond the slate-grey basal portion of the inner web ; in the tame race in Europe 

 the white of the distal portion of the outer web extends as far as or farther than 

 the white on the inner web (see figures). In these markings the tame race 

 agrees with Streptopelia roseogrisea of N.E. Africa. 



(2) The tame Dove is smaller than " S. douraca," agreeing in size better with 

 S. roseogrisea. Domesticated races are — as a rule — larger than wild ones, as for 

 example canary-birds, ducks, geese, and others. The tail is also longer in the 

 Indian Ring-Dove ! 



