Plate XLVI.
Z. vertice, cervice, dorso caudæque tegminibus obscurè fuscis vinaceo-tinctis; dorso nigro-guttato; alarum tegminibus fuscis, plumâ singulâ pallidè vinaceo-fusco terminatâ, pogonii utriusque margine, maculâ oblongâ magnâ nigrâ, lineâ albâ separatâ; remigibus primariis et secundariis nigrescenti-fuscis, cinerascenti-albo angustè marginatis; caudâ fuscescenti cinereo ad apicem fasciâ latâ irregulari nigra; loris lineâque angustâ supra et infra oculari nigris pallidè fusco mixtis; gulâ pectoreque vinaceis, colli lateribus ærato tinctis; crisso, caudæque tegminibus inferioribus cinerascentibus, rostro nigro, pedibus rufescenti aurantiacis.
Long. tot. 8½ unc.; alæ, 5¼; caudæ, 3¼; tarsi, ⅞; rostri, 1.
Crown of the head and back of the neck, dark chocolate brown, with a vinous tinge; back and tail-coverts the same, the former spotted with black; wing-coverts brown, each feather having a large oblong spot of black on the margin of either web, separated by a line of white, and tipped with light vinous brown, the white predominating on the larger coverts, primaries and secondaries blackish brown, finely edged with greyish white; tail brownish grey, crossed near the extremity with a broad irregular band of black; lores and a narrow line above and beneath the eye black, interrupted with light brown: throat and chest rich vinous, glossed on the sides of the neck with metallic bronze, and fading into greyish on the vent and under tail-coverts; bill black; feet reddish orange.
Habitat, Galapagos Archipelago. (Sept. and Oct.)
This species may at once be distinguished from the Z. aurita, by the redder tint of its breast,—the greater number of black marks on the wing coverts and back—the outer half of some of the feathers on the wing coverts being white—the marks on the under side of the tail being grey (instead of white as in the Z. aurita) and by the larger size of its beak.
This dove is one of the most abundant birds in the Archipelago. It frequents the dry rocky soil of the low country, and often feeds in the same flock with the several species of Geospiza. It is exceedingly tame, and may be killed in numbers. Formerly it appears to have been much tamer than at present. Cowley,[[21]] in 1684, says that the “Turtle doves were so tame that they would often alight upon our hats and arms, so as that we could take them alive: they not fearing man, until such time as some of our company did fire at them, whereby they were rendered more shy.” Dampier[[22]] (in the same year) also says that a man in a morning’s walk might kill six or seven dozen of these birds. At the present time, although certainly very tame, they do not alight on people’s arms; nor do they suffer themselves to be killed in such numbers. It is surprising that the change has not been greater;—for these islands during the last hundred and fifty years, have been frequented by buccaneers and whalers; and the sailors, wandering through the woods in search of tortoises, take delight in knocking down the little birds.
3. Zenaida Boliviana. G. R. Gray.
Columba Boliviana, D’Orb. & Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1836. Ois. p. 33. pl. 75.
My specimen was obtained (end of August) at Valparaiso.