— 57 — 



Chalcopelia chalcospilos chalcospilos Wagl. — Rchw. III. p. 811. 



1 (5 ad. 27. 4.; 1 e ad. 29. 4. Mombasa. - 1 $ ad. 19. 9. Kiambu. 



Both in the country round Mombasa and round Nairobi 

 this bird was seen quite commonly. As a rule this beautiful 

 little pif^eon was observed on the ground in the ploughed fields 

 of the natives picking the seeds. In the day-time it remained 

 well concealed among the foliage of the trees, but in the after- 

 noons it came out into the open places in search of food. 



The Mombasa specimens are of a brighter wine-colour than 

 those from the Nairobi regions, the colour of the under surface 

 of the latter being a shade of pale rust-brown or ochre-yellow. 

 Wing, tarsus, 



cf 103, 9 103 mm. 18, 19 mm. Mombasa. 



102 mm. 18 mm. Kiambu. 



Irides dark-brown, dark lilac (almost black); legs dark 

 roseate. 



Oena capensis L. — Rchw. I. p. 429. 

 2 (3^ 19. 8. and 25. 8. ; 1 Q 19. 8. Kisumu. 



Frequently occurred in the regions of Kisumu on the Gulf 

 of Kavirondo, Victoria Nyanza, where it was mostly observed in 

 pairs, but also in small flocks of from 4 to 5 in number. 



The male and female were shot at the same time, both of 

 which are in full dress, and in the lower part of the female's 

 oviduct there was an almost fully developed egg. 



The other male specimen is in advanced phase of moult and the 

 curious thing is that the new rectrices have already grown to 

 2/3 of their future length while the old rectrices are still left. 

 One might almost say that the bird has two tails, which are, 

 moreover, separated from each other by a interstice, so that one 

 can easily discern the old one and the new one. This appears also 

 in the bird just shot. 



These two specimens prove that while some individuals of 

 a certain species are entering upon the breeding stage, and have 

 already changed dress, others are in moult. This of course does 

 not signify that the latter are from the breeding-time, for the 

 circumstances may very well be the same as in Centropus sene- 

 galensis incertus, where the brooding male was in a rather ad- 

 vanced phase of moulting. 



Wing, tarsus, 



99,98 mm. 14 mm. cfcf 



100 mm. 15 mm. 9 



Irides dark -brown; bill in cf dark lilac -coloured (almost 

 purple) and yellow tip, in 9 black; legs dark purple. 



