60 



COLUMBID.E. 



young birds. The iris is a very bright red, being brightened 

 in appearance by the colour approaching to golden-yellow 

 as it joins the pupil. The young birds have the iris dusky 

 until they are half a year old, when it becomes by degrees 

 yellow and orange. The legs and feet are red, and scaled ; 

 the soles are raw umber coloured, and the claws dusky horn- 

 colour. The top of the head, the back of the neck, the 

 rump, the greater wing coverts, and part of the lesser wing- 

 coverts against the ridge of the wings, are a blueish lilac, and 

 this colour is also tinged or spread about the flanks, extending 

 over the the upper tail coverts. The sides of the face are 

 ochre yellow, beautifully blended in the lake colour that 

 spreads over the breast. The back and middle tail feathers 

 are burnt umber, with which colour the feathers of the upper 

 tail coverts are edged. The secondaries and quill-feathers 

 are dusky. Three of the tail feathers right and left of the 

 middle feathers are black with white tips ; and the outer fea- 

 thers are white. On the sides of the neck there are some 

 scaled black feathers with white tips, and these are surrounded 

 by a beautiful tinge of cobalt blue. 



The egg figured 146 is that of the Turtle Dove. 



