The Turtle-Dove. Turtur,
Numb. XLVII.
T T S Length, from the point of the Bill to the End of the Tail, was
-*■ twelve Inches; its Breadth, when the Wings were extended twenty
one Inches; its Bill ilender; from the Tip to the Angles of the Mouth
almoft an 'Inch long, of a dusky blue Colour without, and red within;
its Tongue fmall and not divided; the Irides of its Eyes between red
and yellow: A circle of naked red Flefh encompafleth the Eyes, as in
many others of this Kind.
Its Feet were red; its Claws black; its Toes divided to the very
Bottom; the inner Side of the middle Claw thinned into an Edge.
Its Head and the middle of its Back blbe or cinereous of the Colour of
a common Pigeon; the Shoulders and the Rump of a fordid red; the
Breaft and Belly white ; the Throat tinctured with a lovely vinous
Colour; each Side of the Neck was adorned with a Spot of beautiful
Feathers,' of a black Colour with white Tips; the exteriour quill Feathers
of the Wings were dusky, the middle cinereous; the interiour had
their Edges red; the fecond Row of wing Feathers afh-coloured; the
leffer Rows black: the Tail was compofed of twelve Feathers of which
the outmoft had both their Tips and exteriour Webs white; in the fuc-
ceeding the white part by Degrees grew lefs and lefs, fo that the mid-
dlemoft had no white at all; the Length of the Tail was four Inches
and a half.
The Tefticles were great, an Inch long; its Guts by Meafure twenty
fix Inches; its blind Guts very ihort; its Crop great, in which was found
Hemp-Seed; its Stomach or Gizzard flefhy; above the Stomach the
Gullet is dilated into a kind of Bag,, fet with papillary Glandules. This
Bird I had from Sir Robert Abdy.
The