ZEN AID A DOVE. 
25 
pupil of the eye large, and the eye itself full, giving the whole 
bird a mild and pleasing expression: the naked orbits are of a 
bluish gray. The whole plumage above is yellowish ashy-brown, 
tinged with vinaceous on the crown, and paler on the sides of the 
head and neck; under the ears is a small bright rich and deep 
violaceous spot, rivalling the amethyst in splendour; and above 
this a similar smaller one, not very distinguishable: the sides of 
the neck before the bend of the wing exhibit splendid golden 
violaceous reflections slightly passing into greenish in different 
lights: the scapulars are spotted with black, the spots being 
large and roundish; the exterior wing-coverts, spurious wing and 
quill-feathers are blackish; the primaries are edged with white 
externally, and with the exception of the outer ones, at tip also; 
the secondaries are broadly terminated with white. The chin is 
yellowish white; the whole inferior surface is bright vinaceous, 
paler on the throat, and gradually passing into richer on the 
belly; the flanks and under wing-coverts are delicate lilac, and 
the under tail-coverts are mixed with the same colour, some of 
the longest being entirely lilac, which is also found at the base of 
the plumage on the belly and rump. The wings are six inches 
and a quarter long, reaching within one inch of the tip of the tail: 
the primaries are entire on both vanes; the first is longer than 
the fourth, the second longest, though scarcely longer than the 
third. The tail is four and a half inches long, composed of 
twelve broad, full, rounded feathers, extending but one inch 
beyond their coverts: it is nearly even, and of the colour of the 
body, with a broad black band at two-thirds of its length, obsolete 
on the two middle feathers, (which are of the colour of the body) 
purer on the three exterior; the lateral feathers are pearl-gray for 
half an inch towards the tip, the outer plume being moreover 
of that colour on the outer vane: all the tail-feathers are blackish 
on the inferior surface to within three quarters of an inch of their 
