Family COLUMBID^. Genus Turtur. 



TURTLE DOVE. 



TURTUR AURITVS-Gray. 



Geographical Distribution. — British .■ Generally dis- 

 tributed during summer throughout England and Wales, but 

 becomes rarer in Wales, the extreme south-west of England, and 

 north of the Humber. Only occurs as a straggler on migration 

 in Scotland, although it passes the Shetlands regularly on passage. 

 Not been observed in the Outer Hebrides, and only breeds 

 locally in Ireland. Foreign : West Palaearctic region during 

 summer. Throughout suitable districts m Scandinavia and 

 Russia south of lat. 60°, eastwards to Turkestan, the Altai and 

 Northern Cashmere, southwards through Afghanistan, Persia, 

 and Asia Minor, westwards to Central and Southern Europe. It 

 passes through Palestine and North Africa on migration, many 

 remaining behind in spring to breed. To the Canaries it is 

 a common summer visitor, but is rare in Madeira. Its winter 

 quarters are in Central Africa. 



Allied Forms. — Turtur isabellinus, a summer migrant to 

 North-east Africa. Differs from the Turtle Dove in having the 

 head huffish brown instead of gray, and in being slightly smaller 

 (length of wing 6 instead of 7 inches, as in Turtle Dove). 

 T. ferrago, inhabiting South-western Turkestan and India. 

 Differs from the Turtle Dove in having the light patches on the 

 neck bluish gray instead of white, and the breast not so pink. 

 It is also a larger bird. T. orientalis, inhabiting India, South- 

 east Siberia, China, and Japan. Differs from the Turtle Dove 

 in having the under tail coverts and the light tips of the tail 

 feathers slate-gray instead of white. These two latter birds appear 

 only to be subspecifically distinct, intermediate forms occurring in 



