COLITMBA GELAST1S. 199 



In its native country it appears to inhabit rocky 

 mountainous tracts." 



Dr. Leopold Von Schrenclc, in liis "Reisen unci 

 Forschungen im Amur Lande," Vol. 1, Part 2, 1854-6, 

 page 890, has a long account of this bird, from which I 

 extract the following: — -"This is only a geographical 

 variety of C. Turtur, distinguished by its greater size 

 and by its darker colouring. The Amur Lande species 

 resembles mark for mark the C. Turtur, and in the 

 tone of its colouring most resembles the description 

 given in the "Fauna Japonica," especially the wings, 

 tail feathers, and upper parts; the under parts are 

 brighter than in C. Turtur, and the lower breast is of a 

 clear vinous reddish, without the yellowish tint; round 

 the neck and upper part of the breast there is less 

 brownish, and more vinous reddish grey colouring. 

 The under tail coverts and the tips of the tail feathers 

 are in all our specimens grey, and certainly in spring 

 of a somewhat darker bluish ash grey; in the latter part 

 of summer, on the contrary, they are shaded into a 

 greyish white. 



"We also find in the young of C. gelastis the 

 characteristic markings of C. Turtur, namely, white on 

 the tail and under tail coverts passing into grey, and 

 on the belly into vinous red. Besides this C. gelastis 

 has all the distinctive marks of the young Turtle Dove, 

 especially on the throat and crop down to the breast, 

 where the colour is grey brown, with rusty yellow 

 edges to the feathers, without the glossy appearance; 

 also on the primaries and secondaries towards the end 

 the edges are broad rust brown, and the upper tail 

 coverts, as well as the two middle tail feathers, have 

 a slight rust brownish " tip to each feather, passing 

 into bluish grey borders in the middle of the feathers. 



