278 
ORNITHOLOGY. 
T. vitticoUis lays throughout the summer ; I have found 
eggs early in May and late in August^ but the great 
majority lay in June. It makes a loose, but rather more 
substantial twig nest than many of its congeners^, placed on 
some horizontal branch of a large tree, usually not far from 
the extremity. The eggs are pure white, and glossy, and 
vary from I'l to 1*22 in length, and from 0'9 to 0*98 in 
breadth. 
792 {bis). Turtur auritus* (Ray). 
A single specimen of the European Turtle Dove was 
obtained at Oi Tograk in Yarkand on the 18th of August. 
Doves were comparatively rare in Yarkand, and this was the 
* Turtur auritus. 
Dimensions. — Length, 11 to 11'3 ; expanse, 20 to 21*2 ; wing, 6*8 
to 7-1 ; tail from vent, 475 to 5-25 ; bill at front, 0 7 to 0 75 ; from 
gape, 0 9 ; tarsus, 0*8 to 0*85 ; mid toe to root of claw, 6*95 ; its claw, 
0'25 ; hind toe, 0*4 — its claw, 0'23. The second quill is the longest ; the 
first is subequal ; the third, 0*2 ; the fourth, 0*65 j the fifth, 11 shorter. 
The second and third quills slightly emarginate on the outer webs towards 
the tips. Tail rounded ; lateral tail-feathers 0*5 to 0"6 shorter than 
central ones. 
Desceiption. — Bill varies from purple to greyish black, according, I 
think, to season ; the tip of the upper mandible slightly yellowish. 
Orbital space, pale red ; irides, orange yellow. Legs and feet, purple to 
purplish red. Claws, blackish horny. 
Plumage . — Top and back of the head and back of the neck brownish 
ashy, in the female — greyish blue in the male. The back greyish brown 
often a good deal but faintly tinged towards the tips of the feathers 
with pale rusty. Lesser and median wing coverts, except just at the 
carpal joint, scapulars and tertiaries, greyish brown with a large pointed 
black blotch towards the tips, and broadly margined with light rufous or 
pale ferruginous ; rump and upper tail coverts greyish brown, often more or 
less tinged, but faintly so towards the tips with dull ferruginous; central tail 
feathers are brownish grey for the basal halves, and dull somewhat greyish 
brown for the terminal halves narrowly tipped paler. The lateral tail 
feathers are blackish slat}', with the whole exterior web of the outer 
laterals pure white, and all the laterals broadly tipped with white, those 
nearest the central ones least broadly so. Feathers about the carpal joint 
and greater coverts of the secondaries pale bluish grey. Primaries, 
secondaries, and the greater coverts of the former, dull hair brown more 
or less tinged with grey and very narrowly margined with brownish or 
greyish white. The chin, throat and ear-coverts whitish, a large patch 
on each side of the neck black, each feather with a narrow terminal 
greyish white or white bar. Front of the neck, breast and sides, light 
