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ordinary Rock-Pigeons. I have also seen a few with white patches on the wings. It is possible 

 these last may be escaped domesticated birds." Vernon Harcourt says that a dark form or 

 variety of the Rock-Dove is found in Madeira. According to Dr. Bolle this Dove inhabits the 

 rocky coasts of the Canaries in great numbers, and he observed it near Orotava, at Palma, on 

 Lobos, and in Lanzarote, even in the interior of the island at several places — for instance, near 

 El Sobaco. Dr. Dohrn, who records it from the Cape-Verd Islands, adds that it appears to be 

 restricted to Santiago; and Mr. Mellis states (Ibis, 1870, p. 102) that it is "abundant on St. 

 Helena, existing both in a wild and a domestic state. In the former, they frequent chiefly a 

 place called the Waterfall, a perpendicular cliff about 300 feet in height, situated inland about 

 two miles and a half from the sea, and take their daily flight to the corn-fields of Longwood or 

 Broadbottom for food." 



In Asia the form which has the rump grey and not white appears to predominate ; but, as 

 elsewhere, both forms occur, and the bird is subject to considerable variation, Mr. Blanford, 

 referring to the birds found in Persia, says (E. Pers. ii. p. 268), "I am sorry to say I did not 

 note the range of these two races in Persia. Both certainly occur, and, so far as I observed, the 

 common form in the south appeared to be intermedia with the ashy rump. Certainly the only 

 specimen preserved belongs to that race ; and I know that others were shot. Hume obtained 

 both in Sind. Pigeons are common in the wells and underground water-channels or kanats, 

 made for irrigation throughout Persia; but at the time of my journey the immense numbers 

 which usually haunt the great Pigeon-towers about Isfahan and other parts had completely 

 disappeared. All had died or been killed during the famine. Indeed I saw comparatively very 

 few Pigeons throughout Central and Northern Persia." I have examined the type of Columba 

 plumipes, G. Pi. Gray, from Dizful, Persia, now in the British Museum ; and it appears to me to 

 be a mere variety of Columba lima, not differing in any respect from the ordinary form of the 

 Rock-Dove, except that it has the anterior portion of the tarsus sparsely covered with feathers. 

 Mr. Hume says (Stray Feathers, i. p. 218) that he obtained a specimen of our European form of 

 Columba livia, shot by Dr. Day in the sandhills of the Roree Division, and was informed that the 

 White-rumped Pigeon was not uncommon there. "Again in the Gaj," he says, " amongst several 

 true intermedia I obtained one livia and one or two intermediate forms. 



" The species that I described with much hesitation as Columba neglecta in my ' Ornithology 

 of the Yarkand Expedition,' must now, I am convinced, be identified with lima. The wing of 

 this latter species varies, as I find from Scotch specimens, from 8 - 3 to 9 - 75 ; and after comparing 

 European and Indian birds, I entertain no doubt of the identity of the Ladak and Scotch 

 specimens. Cashmere birds, however, which I also class under livia, differ slightly : they have 

 somewhat less of pure white on the lower back ; and the rest of what is pure white in true livia 

 is faintly shaded with very pale grey ; in all other respects, size, general hue of plumage, they 

 are identical with the European bird. Of the Sindh birds two are typical livia, others resemble 

 the Cashmere birds, and one again seems intermediate between the Cashmere bird and the true 

 intermedia, though nearest to the former. Below Duryalo, inside the first range, Dr. May saw 

 large flocks of the White-backed Pigeon similar to the one he shot for me at Roree." Dr. 

 Jerdon writes (B. of Ind. iii. p. 469) : — " The Blue Pigeon of India is one of the most common 



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