^g4 NOVITATES ZOOIXJOICiE XXV. 1918. 



5. Turtur capicola tropicus Reichw. (White-vented Dove). 



6. Turtur semitoiquatus Riipp. (Grey-vented Dove). 



<? 2, ? 2. (J 1. Both common on the foothills and in the low country, the 

 former not ascending so far up as the latter, but keeping more to the acacia 

 country. 



7. Turturoena delegorguei sharpei Salvad.* (White-collared Pigeon). 



(J 4, ? 3. These birds, from the tj'pe locaUty of T. sharpei, belong, in my 

 opinion, to the same subspecies as the birds obtained round Nairobi and Kyambu, 

 B.E. A., though both differ markedly from the plate of . sharpei in Novitates 

 ZooLOGiCAE, Tring, 1894, plate III. 



In the fair series obtained no two birds are alike in colour of the mantle. 

 One adult male approaches the rufous-backed form as figured, but is rather 

 darker, and so are some birds from Nairobi, and these latter are, I understand, 

 similar to those of the Escarpment. 



The only apparent colour difference between birds from Elgon and those 

 from Nairobi seems to be that on the breast, wliich in southern birds is brighter 

 purply-red. 



In size they differ shghtly, thus Elgon birds have an average wing measure- 

 ment of 160 to 165 mm. and Nairobi birds 175 mm. 



I have no birds from Natal with which to compare my birds, and am thus 

 unable to decide whether or not Nairobi birds are the same. 



Common at times. Feeds freely on berries and wild figs. 



8. *Aplopelia larvata Temm. (Cinnamon-breasted Dove). 



<J 1 . Unfortunately this is a young bird in first plumage and is thus diffi- 

 cult to place with any certainty; it may possibly be A. jacksoni. 



This is a bird of the forests, inhabiting the under and middle growth, thus 

 being difficult to procure and easily overlooked. It is a ground feeder, the chief 

 food being snails and other land mollusca, as well as seeds of various sorts. 



They are shy and easily alarmed, but do not fly far. 



9. Tympanistria tympanistria Temm. (White-breasted Dove). 



(J 2 9 1. Common in the lower forests. Seen on the ground more fre- 

 quently than in trees. 



In the males the moult from second plumage to adult takes place rapidly 

 and they do not assume a plumage similar to that of females between the 

 second and full dress. 



• I do not now believe that the bird figured on the plate mentioned is T. sharpei. The latter 

 had been described from a head and neck only, and wlien Lord Rothschild received a skin, the 

 head and neck of which agreed with the '' type," we naturally thought it was the same. Dr. van 

 Someren now sent me an adult male and two females from Mount Klgon, which have the back deep 

 slaty black, while in our specimens from Nguru and Escarpment the back is dark chestnut-brown 

 with more or less pronounced metallic green edges to the feathers. A male from Moschi 

 {Buchanan coll.) approaches, but is not quite like our Elgon specimens. I therefore doubt that the 

 Nguru and Escarpment birds are quite identical with the Mount Elgon birds, wliich arc, of course, 

 true sharpei. T. del. delegorguei from Natal has the mantle still more reddish chestnut, but is closrly 

 allied to the Escarpment form. 



E. Haiitert. 



