899. Turtur decaocto

899. Collared Turtle-Dove.
TURTUR DECAOCTO.
Turtur decaocto (Frivaldsky), Balkanyi Termes. Utaz. p. 30, pl. viii. (1838) ; ? T. risorius (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 285 (1766 partim) ; Pall. Zoogr. Ross. As. i. p. 565 ; Dresser, vii. p. 51, pl. 464, fig. 2 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 387 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 46 ; Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 162 ; T. douraca, Hodg. in Gray’s Zool. Misc. p. 85 (1844 deser. nulla) ; Salvadori, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxi. p. 430 ; T. torquata (Bogd.), Tr. Sib. Obtsch. Jestestv. xii. p. 9 (1881) ; Tacz. F. O. Sib. O. p. 736.
Dhor-fakhta, Perki, Panduk, Gugi, Hindu. ; Shirako-bato, Jap.
Male ad. (Palestine). Head, neck, and breast pale greyish vinous, the crown tinged with blue-grey ; upper parts dusty brown, the sides of the rump dove-blue ; quills ashy blue at the base, otherwise blackish brown ; secondaries and outer coverts dove-blue ; middle tail-feathers dusky brown, the rest dove-blue, fading to white towards the tips ; a black collar margined with white from the back half round the neck ; under parts pale vinous, becoming dove-blue on the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts ; flanks washed with blue-grey ; bill black ; legs and feet pinkish red ; iris crimson, orbital skin whitish. Culmen 0.8, wing 7.15, tail 5.7, tarsus 0.95 inch. Sexes alike.
Hab. Turkey, Asia Minor, Asia east to India, Ceylon, China, Mongolia, Manchuria, Corea, Japan, and as far north as the southern Amoor.
Frequents hedges and trees in cultivated localities, and bush and reed jungle, and its note is a deep kookoo-koo. Its nest is a slight platform of twigs, and is placed on the ground, and its 2 eggs are pure white, and measure about 1.18 by 0.87. It is said to breed in every month from December to August in India.