STARNOENAS CYANOCEPHALA. 
343 
ing it, and a short time after, while looking for them again, I had the ill luck to run a cactus 
spine, some three inches long, into my knee, the point entering between the small bones, 
where it broke; as a consequence, I was confined to the house for nearly two weeks. This 
occurred during the second week in November and when I recovered sufficiently to again 
enter the resort which I have described, I could not find the Doves, so concluded that they 
had migrated. 
Although I was not near enough to identify these birds beyond a doubt, I am convinced 
that they were the Key West Doves. Shortly after this, I was informed by Mr. Joseph 
Brown who was then mayor of the city of Key West and who had lived on the place for 
many years, that he had known Audubon when he was on the island and that this ornithol¬ 
ogist had taken the Key West Pigeons near the place where I saw the Doves in question. 
Mr. Brown also informed me that Doves of all the species which now occur on the island, 
were much more common then than now, for the island was thickly covered with a heavy 
growth of timber, whereas, at the present time, there is scarcely a tree in the wilder section, 
over twenty feet high. 
GENUS V. STARNOENAS. THE QUAIL DOVES. 
Gen. Ch. Bill, very short. Tail, but little rounded, short, and broad. Wings, also short and not pointed. Tarsus, 
not long. 
Members of this genus closely resemble the Quails in general appearance, being stout and round in form, with short 
wings and tail. There has been but one species taken within our limits. 
STARNOENAS CYANOCEPHALA. 
Blue-headed Dove. 
Starnoenas cyanocephala Bon., List; 1838. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Cn. Form, robust. Size, quite large. Tail, short and but little rounded. Wings, short. Tarsus, moderately 
short and stout. Sexes, quite similar in color. 
Color. Adult. Above, and on sides and flanks, chocolate-brown, overwashed with olivaceous. Top of head, blue, 
banded below with a line of black which becomes quite wide on occiput and narrow in front. Sides of head and forehead, 
black, with a white line passing from chin, beneath eye, to occiput. Throat, black, bordered with white below. Remain¬ 
ing lower portions, reddish-brown, becoming lighter on the middle of breast and darker on the under tail coverts. The 
tail feathers are overwashed with bluish on outer webs. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
This species may be readily known by the short tail, robust form, and colors as described. Found only by Audubon 
on the Florida Keys; resident in the West Indies. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from the West Indies. Length, 1P60; stretch, 17-25; wing, 5'50; tail, 4 40; bill, 
•55; tarsus, 1-30. Longest specimen, 12 50; greatest extent of wing, 17‘50; longest wing, 5-60; tail, 4-50; bill, -60; tarsus, 
1-35. Shortest specimen, 10-70; smallest extent of wing, 17-00; shortest wing, 5-40; tail, 4-30; bill, -50; tarsus, 1’25. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed on the ground or in trees or bushes and when in the two latter named situations, they are composed of 
sticks, carelessly arranged; when on the ground but little material is used. 
Eggs, one or two in number, varying from elliptical to oval in form, and pure white in color, with the surface very 
smooth. Dimensions from 1'05 x 1 40 to 1 • 10 x 1 43. 
