OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 19 



Family PEEISTEEID^. Genus Ttjrtub. 



Subfamily TuBTUBlN^. 



TURTLE DOVE. 



TUETUE AUEITUS.— Gray. 



Plate III. 



Columba turtur, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 284 (1766); Macgill. Brit. B. i. p 291 (1837). 

 Turtur vulgaris, Eyton; Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 39, pi. 462 (1876). 



Turtur communis, Selby; Yarrell, Brit. B. ed. 4, iii. p. 21 (1883); Lilford, Col. Pig. Brit. 

 B. pt. xxviii. (1894). 



Turtur auritus, Gray ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. ii. p. 411 (1884) ; Dixon, Nests and Eggs 

 Brit. B. p. 350 (1893); Seebohm, Col. Eig. Eggs Brit. B. p. 169, pi. 47 (1896). 



Turtur turtur (Linn.), Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxi. p. 396 (1893) ; Sharps, Handb. 

 B. Gr. Brit. iv. p. 254 (1897). 



Geographical distribution — British: The Turtle Dove is generally 

 distributed during summer throughout England and Wales, but becomes rarer in 

 Wales, in the extreme south-west of England, and north of the Humber. It 

 occurs only as a straggler on migration in Scotland, although it passes the 

 Shetlands regularly on passage. It has not been observed in the Outer Hebrides, 

 and only breeds locally in Ireland. Foreign: West Palsearctic region during 

 summer. It is found throughout suitable districts in Scandinavia and Eussia 

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

 southwards through Afganistan, 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 it is rare in Madeira. Its winter quarters are in 

 Central Africa. 



Allied forms. — Turtur isahellinus, a summer migrant to North-east Airica. 

 Differs from the Turtle Dove in having the head buffish-brown instead of grey, 

 and in being slightly smaller (length of wing 6 inches, instead of 7 as in the Turtle 

 Dove). T. ferrago, inhabiting South-western Turkestan and India. Differs 

 from the Turtle Dove in having the light patches on the neck bluish-grey 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- 

 grey instead of white. These two latter birds appear only to be subspecifically 



