870 Drafts for a Fauna Indica. [No. 168. 



Small and delicately formed tree-pigeons, with the tail moderately 

 graduated, or merely rounded, having always broad grey, or greyish- 

 white, tips to its graduating outer- feathers ; neck devoid of iridescent 

 gloss. They feed chiefly on the ground, upon grain, small pulse, and 

 oil-seeds ; assemble in small flocks except when breeding, and generally 

 prefer groves and coppices which intersperse the open country, coming 

 much into gardens, where sometimes they may be seen nearly as familiar 

 as domestic pigeons. In such situations they breed abundantly, con- 

 structing the slight platform nests common to all arboreal Columbidce ; 

 and in warm climates, they have no special season for propagation, but 

 produce alike at all times of the year, the same as domestic pigeons. 

 As compared with the large true wood pigeons, these birds are certainly 

 much more terrene in their habits* ; but they grade towards the wood 

 pigeons in Turtur picturatus (V. DufresniiJ of the Isle of France, which, 

 however, is a true turtle-dove, having merely a larger bill than its con- 

 geners. Their geographical range is confined to the Old World, inclu- 

 sive of Australia ; and the only Australian species (T. humeralisj is co- 

 loured like the Geopelia ; which last are indeed but a sub-genus of the 

 present group, consisting of smaller and more slender-formed species, 

 with delicate rayed plumage, and which are confined in their distribution 

 to the Malay countries and Australia. t 



T. risorius : Col. risoria, Lin. (Kalhak, Kahalak, Kahalaki, or Pdnr 

 G'hoogo, Beng. ; Dhor Fachtah, S. India.) (Grey turtle-dove.) Uniform 

 light grey- brown ; the edge of the wing, and lower tail- coverts, pure 

 ashy, somewhat deeper on the latter ; head delicate pale vinous-grey, 

 whiter on the forehead and throat ; the nape and under-parts less ashy, 

 and more vinaceous, passing to light greyish towards the vent ; a narrow 

 black half-collar on the hind-neck ; primaries dusky, with slight whitish 

 margins bordering their tips ; and closed tail uniform with the back 



* They resemble the generality of more dove-like Gourince (as do also the Rock Pi- 

 geons), in having the outer toe shorter than the inner ; which, accordingly, would indi- 

 cate a terrene propensity. 



f G. striata (v. Col. sinica, malaccensis, bantamensis, fyc.), common in the 

 Malay countries, appears also to inhabit the Mauritius. Living specimens are occa- 

 sionally brought to Calcutta, where I have kept both it and T. humeralis ; and being 

 thus familiar with both, 1 do not agree with Messrs. Gould and G. K. Gray in making 

 a Geopelia of the latter. It serves, however, to show the immediate connexion of the 

 two sub-groups. 



