220 GROUND DOVE. 



birds by Noah to ascertain the state of the deluge, and re- 

 turning to the ark bearing the olive leaf, as a messenger of 

 peace and good tidings ; the Holy Ghost, it is also said, was 

 seen to descend like a dove from heaven, &c. In addition to 

 these, there is in the dove an appearance of meekness and 

 innocency very interesting, and well calculated to secure our 

 partiality in its favour. These remarks are applicable to the 

 whole genus, but are more particularly so to the species now 

 before us, as being among the least, the most delicate, and 

 inoffensive of the whole. 



The ground dove is six inches and a quarter long ; bill, 

 yellow, black at the point ; nostril, covered with a prominent 

 membrane, as is usual with the genus ; iris of the eye, orange 

 red ; front, throat, breast, and sides of the neck, pale vinaceous 

 purple ; the feathers strongly defined by semicircular outlines, 

 those on the throat centered with dusky blue ; crown and 

 hind head, a fine pale blue, intermixed with purple, the 

 plumage, like that on the throat, strongly defined; back, 

 cinerous brown, the scapulars deeply tinged with pale purple, 

 and marked with detached drops of glossy blue, reflecting 

 tints of purple ; belly, pale vinaceous brown, becoming dark 

 cinerous towards the vent, where the feathers are bordered 

 with white ; wing-quills, dusky outwardly, and at the tips ; 

 lower sides, and whole interior vanes, a fine red chestnut, 

 which shows itself a little below their coverts ; tail, rounded, 

 consisting of twelve feathers, the two middle ones cinereous 

 brown, the rest black, tipt and edged with white ; legs and 

 feet, yellow. 



The female has the back and tail-coverts of a mouse colour, 

 with little or none of the vinaceous tint on the breast and 

 throat, nor any of the light blue on the hind head ; the throat 

 is speckled with dull white, pale clay colour, and dusky ; 

 sides of the neck, the same, the plumage strongly defined ; 

 breast, cinerous brown, slighly tinctured with purple ; scapulars, 

 marked with large drops of a dark purplish blood colour, 

 reflecting tints of blue ; rest of the plumage, nearly the same 

 as that of the male. 



