Mr. E. Blyth's Drafts for a Fauna Indica. 179 XXIV. — Drafts for a Fauna Indica. By Ed. Blyth, Curator of the Asiatic Society's Museum, &c. &c.* [Continued from p. 108.] The Doves Are generally smaller and more delicately formed, with the tail commonly more or less lengthened and graduated, this latter character attaining a high degree of development in certain groups of them. The nearest approach to the wood-pigeons is exhibited by the North American passenger doves {Ectopistes, Sw.), which are especially characterized by having a long, much graduated and sharp-pointed tail, and powerful wings, of which the first two primaries are equal and longest ; they have the true pigeon-like play of colours on the sides of the neck. The African (Ena capensis has been generally placed near Ectopistes, but (so far as can be judged from drawings) would appear rather to ap-proximate certain of the Macropygia of the Eastern Archipelago, as M. Reinwardtii. To the last-named group one Indian species appertains. Macropygia, Swainson : Coccyzurttj Hodgson. (Cuckoo-doves.) The species of this division are remarkable for their very broad, long and much graduated tail, and general Cuckoo-like figure. They chiefly inhabit the great Eastern Archipelago, a single spe-cies occurring in the Himalaya, and another in Australia. For the most part they are confined to rocky upland forests, and sub-sist much on berries, often descending to the ground to pick up fallen mast and fruits ; upon being disturbed, their great broad tail shows to much advantage as they rise. The species of the Archipelago are very injurious to the pepper and other spice plantations ; and their flesh is highly esteemed for the table, from the fine flavour said to be imparted to it by the various aromatic berries on which they feed. M. leptogrammica : Col. leptogrammica, Temminck, PI. Col. 248 : Coccyzura tusalia, Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc. xiii. p. 936. (Rayed Cuckoo-dove.) Upper parts dusky, with numerous narrow rufous bars on the mantle, wings, rump and upper tail-coverts ; tail more obscurely barred in the male ; forehead, chin and throat whitish, tinged with lake; the occiput, neck and breast dull pale vinaceous, glossed (less brightly on the breast) with changeable green and amethystine-purple ; lower parts yel-lowish-albescent, the under tail-coverts pale bufl*; all but the four middle tail-feathers ashy, with a broad black subterminal band ; * From the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, no. 169. 13*
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