476 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



and the neck patch black, tipped greyish-white ; they are of 

 larger size than the birds of the other two sections, and moreover 

 are more gregarious in winter. 



792. Turtur rupicolus, Pallas. 



Columba, apud Pallas — C. gelastes, Temm., PI. col. pi. 550 ? 

 — T. vitticollis, apud Hodgson — T. orientalis, Gray (in part)— 

 T. meena, Blyth (in part), Cat. 1436— Adams, No. 212. 



The AsHi r Turtle-dove. 



Descr. — Head bluish-ashy, with the occiput and nape mfescent ; 

 back and rump ashy brown, more ashy on the latter ; wings 

 dusky ; the coverts widely margined with dark rufous ; tail bluish- 

 black, with a broad white tip ; beneath brown, becoming whitish 

 towards the vent ; lower tail-coverts white, with a faint tinge of 

 ashy ; neck-spot black. 



Bill blackish ; legs dull purple-lake. Length, about 12 to 13 

 inches ; wing 7 to 8 ; tail 5^. 



This Dove most closely resembles the Turtle-dove of Britain, 

 but is somewhat larger, has the occiput and nape more rufescent, 

 and the rump more ashy, whilst the lower tail-coverts are not so 

 pure white in the Indian bird. A drawing of Buchanan 

 Hamilton in the Library of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta, appears to 

 represent the European bird rather than rupicolus, but may be 

 intended for the latter. This last inhabits Siberia and Japan, and 

 probably most of Central Asia, and has even been killed in 

 Northern Europe. Mr. Blyth states it to be common in collections 

 from Simla and Mussooree, and that it was also obtained by 

 Hodgson in Nipal. I should, however, imagine it to be a winter 

 visitant to the hills only ; and that the bird mentioned by Hutton 

 as ' a mere summer visitor at Mussooree,' must refer to the next 

 species, T. meena. 



793. Turtur meena, Sykes. 



Columba, apud Sykes, Cat. 139 — C. agricola, Tiokell — T. 

 pulchrala, Hodgson— Jerdon, Cat. 296 — Blyth, Cat. 1436 

 (in part) — Kulla fachta, II. — Basko fachta, H. in the North — Yedru 

 poda guwa, Tel. — Sam ghughu, Beng. — Hlndgah, Mahr. 



