STREPTOPELIA.
Tail long, 12 feathers; tarsus completely bare.
Streptopelia turtur turtur (L.). TURTLE-DOVE. Fr. Tourterelle ; Gr. Turteltaube ; Ihei. Tortora ; Swed. Turtur-dufva. 9 Crown grey, neck patches black with silvery white tips, back brown, scapulars and inner wing coverts black with broad chestnut margins, rump slaty, generally with faint rufous tips, tail black, apical portion white ; beneath vinous, abdomen and under tail coverts white. Iris orange red. Bill blackish, brown at the base. Legs, feet, and eyelids red. Wing j 167-182, 9 171-17S. Tarsus 20-22. Bill 15-17.
Breeds.—British Isles (Scotland doubtful, Ireland very rare) ; Continental Europe south of Baltic, and Russia from 6o° N. to Mediterranean ; Mediterranean Islands, Madeira, Canaries ; also \V. Asia. Migratory ; occurs on passage N. Africa ; winters tropical Africa. Rare in Scandinavia (once bred in S. Sweden).
S. turtur arenicola (Harter* Intermediate between typical "turtur" and "isabellina," has the broad isabelline margins of the latter but upper back is as in "turtur" ; rump and upper tail coverts are more isabelline and crown is paler. Wing 163-177 (H.).
Breeds.—N.W. Africa (Morocco to Tripoli) and W. Asia to Transcaspia. Occurs Egypt on passage. Winter quarters not yet known with certainty.
S. turtur isabellina (Bonaparte). A redder sandy desert form; crown and throat ochreous buff, margins of scapulars broader, back, rump, and upper tail coverts isabelline. Iris orange.
Breeds.—Egypt, Libyan Desert, Nubia. Apparently resident.
Streptopelia orientalis orientalis (Latham).
Upper parts ashy brown, crown grey ; neck patches black with ashy blue tips ; scapulars and upper wing coverts dark slate with rusty margins ; rump bluish slate ; tail feathers grey black with light grey tips ; underparts pale vinous, greyer on throat, flanks and under tail coverts light grey. Iris orange.
Eyelids blue, purple on edges. Bill bluish grey, white at base above. Legs and feet vinous red. Wing d 190-204, 180-198. Tarsus 25-28. Bill 15-17 (H.).
Breeds.—C. and E. Asia. Of rare occurrence in Europe ; reported several times Scandinavia and once England.
Streptopelia senegalensis cegyptiaca (Latham). Head, throat, and breast vinous ; foreneck and upper parts chestnut red, rump brown ; feathers on foreneck and sides of neck bifurcated, bases black, tips coppery, forming a broad collar ; outer wing coverts and secondaries blue slate ; tail white, basal half black. Iris reddish brown. Bill black. Legs, feet, and ring round eye red. Wing j 145-15o, 136-145. Tarsus 21-23. Bill 15-16 (H.).
Resident.—Nile Valley, south to Wadi Halfa.
S. senegaiensis plicenieophita IIartert. Resembles "iegyptiaca" but browner above and less red on upper parts, rump grey and brown mixed, vinous of neck and breast duller and browner. Wing cS ? (H.).
Algeria, and Tunisia south of Atlas ; Smyrna and Constantinople (? introduced).
The typical form "S. s. senegalensis" is an African and S.W. Asiatic bird.
Streptopelia decaocto decaocto (Frivalszky).
j ? Above pale brown ; outer wing coverts, secondaries, under tail coverts and flanks pearly grey ; head, neck, breast, and abdomen vinous pink ; a collar on hind neck black bordered on both sides by white ; tail black, apical third white. Iris and narrow ring round eye red. Bill blackish ; naked skin round eye whitish. Legs and feet bluish red. Wing j 170-183, 170-180. Tarsus 21-25. Bill 15-17 (H.).
Breeds.—S.E. Europe, across whole Balkan Peninsula (but not Rumania or Greece proper) ; and across Asia. Apparently resident. Was probably introduced into Europe from the East.