File:Cassell's book of birds (1875) (14563013068).jpg

Identifier: cassellsbookofbi03breh (find matches)
Title: Cassell's book of birds
Year: 1875 (1870s)
Authors: Brehm, Alfred Edmund, 1829-1884 Jones, Thomas Rymer, 1810-1880
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London (etc.), Cassell, Petter and Galpin
Contributing Library: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

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is principally of creamy yellow,darkest on tlie back, and with the head, throat, and belly of a light shade ,; the neck is decorated witha black collar; the quills are of a blackish hue; the eye is light red, the beak black, and the footcarmme-red. The length of this bird is twelve and its breadth twenty inches ; the wing measuressix inclies and a half, and the tail five inches. The western part of India, Ceylon, Yemen, Arabia, and a great portion of Eastern Africa form thehabitat of the Indian Ring-dove. Reichenbach, it is true, discredits the statement of Le Vaillantand other writers who have described this bird as being met with in Africa, and supposes that theymistake for it a nearly-allied species : we can, however, positively assert, on our own experience, thatthis Ring-dove has been observed not only near Aden, but in Africa, namely, in Samchara and theforests near the Blue River, and that in extraordinary numbers. We are certain we are not mistaken 156 cassells book of birds.
Text Appearing After Image:
TURTLE DOVES. GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 157 as to the identity of the species, as we killed and closely examined many African specimens in theirnative haunts, and found them in every respect like such as inhabit Asia. This species is generally diffused throughout India, where it frequents hedges and trees in theneighbourhood of cultivated districts, and also low bush or reed jungle; it is also found in Ceylon,but is rare in Malabar and the countries east of the Bay of Bengal. Layard notices its partiahty foreuphorbia bushes, on which, he says, it generally builds its nest. Like the other Doves, it breeds in the plains at all seasons, it also appears to ascend the hillsnear Mussoora to breed there in spring. The coo, says Blyth, is quite different from that of thedomestic Turtle Dove, and may be expressed by kookoo-koo, kookoo-koo.

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