TUETUE TEANQEEBAEIGES. 
(TPIE INDIAN RED DOVE.) 
Columba tranquebanca, Herm. Obs. Zool. p. 200 (1804), ex Tranquebaria. 
Turtiir humilis (Temm.), Blyth., Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 236 (1849) ; Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. 
p. 130 (1852); Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1854, xiv. p. 60; Jerdon, B. of Ind. 
iii. p. 482 (1864); Hume, Str. Feath. 1873, p. 218; Ball, ibid. 1874, p. 425; Hume, 
ibid. 1875, p. 165 ; id. Nests and Eggs, iii. p. 507 (1875); Butler & Hume, ibid. 1876, 
p. 3 ; Fairbank, t. c. p. 262. 
Turtur tranquebanca (Herm.), Hume, Str. Feath. 1876, p. 293 ; Davidson & Wender, ibid. 
1877, vii. p. 86 ; Ball, t. c. p. 224 ; Cripps, t. c. p. 297; Hume (List Ind. B.), ibid. 1879, 
p. 110. 
The Ruddy Ring-Dove of some Indian writers. Seroti-fachta, Hind. ; Golabi-ghughu, Tuma- 
kliuri, lit. “ Eose- coloured or Copper-coloured Dove,” Bengal.; Rah-gwwa, lit. “Tile- 
coloured Dove ; ” also Reri-arigm gwwa, Telugu. 
Adult male. “Length 9-42 inches; wing 5-25, expanse 16'0; tail from vent 3-42; tarsus 0-80; bill from gape 0-81, 
at front 0-58; weight 3-5 oz.” ( JercWs measurements are: — “Length 9-25 inches; wing 5-5; tail 3-25.” 
Nepal (British Museum) : wing 5-5 inches ; tail 4-0 ; tarsus 0-75 ; middle toe 0-75 ; bill to gape 0-78. 
Ohs. This example would appear to be much larger than those from the low country, as exemplified by the above 
measurements and Mr. Hume’s statement that 9'25 inches total length (wing 5'25) is the ^iverage of five males. 
“ Iris brown ; bill black ; legs and feet homy black” {Cripps). 
Male (Nepal). Head and nape slate-blue, paling on the face and forehead; below the neck a broad black demi-collar, 
set off above by a whitish edge ; lower part of the hind neck, interscapular region, terminal portion of the wing- 
coverts, and the innermost secondaries, together with the fore neck, chest, and breast vinous red, paler and also 
pervaded with ashy on the breast and fore neck ; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dark plumbeous, paler on the 
tail-coverts than on the back ; primaries brownish slate, with pale edges ; secondaries the same, tinged with 
reddish on the outer webs ; basal portion of the wing-covert feathers slaty ; central tail-feathers brownish slate- 
colour, the lateral pair white on the outer webs and black on the basal part of the inner webs ; remainiutr feathers 
whitish, tinged with slaty near the tips, and darkening into blackish at the bases ; flanks leaden grey; vent and 
luider tail-coverts bluish white ; under wing pale slaty grey. 
Female. Back and wings dull reddish brown, and the breast and under surface pale earthy grey, whitish on the lower 
parts ; wing 5-1 inches. 
Obs. I have adopted for the bird procured by Layard in the Jaffna peninsula the title used of late for the Indian 
Ruddy Dove, instead of that under which it was formerly known, and which is now considered to be better 
applied to the species inhabiting the Philippine Islands and China. Lord Tsveeddale, in a paper on the birds of 
the Philippine Islands, has recently pointed out the distinction between the two races. The eastern form 
T. Inmilis (with which Mr. Hume unites the bird inhabiting the Andamans, Tenasserim, and Burmah), differs in 
being larger and of a darker red beneath, with the head, rump, and under tail-coverts of a darker ash-colour than 
the Indian race ; the under wing is also dark ash-colour instead of pale ashy. It is a matter of conjecture, 
however, which race Temminck referred to, for he united the two under his title of humilis, inasmuch as he 
remarks — “ This species inhabits Bengal and the island of Luzon.” 
It matters not, however, whether Temminck referred to and figured (PI. Col. 258, 259, 1838) the Indian or the Philip- 
pine bird as far as the former (that which we have to do with) is concerned, for Hermann’s title is of thirty-four 
years’ prior date to his ; and as the specimen he named came from Tranquebar, in the Carnatic, the matter is settled. 
Mr. Hume gives the measurements of the wing of T. humilis as generally 5-5 inches or more ; but it will be seen that 
a Nepal specimen belonging to the Indian form measures as much as this. Hill specimens may, however, average 
larger than those from Bengal. 
