2. columba. 277 



maindcr of the wing-coverts into leaden grey ; lesser scapulars and 

 lesser and median wing-coverts spotted with white at the tip ; lower 

 back and rump deep slaty grey, shading into uniform black on the 

 upper tail-coverts ; breast slate-purple, with whitish spots at the 

 tip of the featbers ; between the base of the neck and the breast 

 there is a hand formed by the dark purple feathers, broadly 

 edged with vinous purple ; abdomen, under wing-coverts, and under 

 tail-coverts slate-grey ; quills brown-black ; tail black : " iris 

 greenish ; feet, bill, and bare skin round the eyes yellow" (Antinori). 

 Total length 14 inches, wing 9-25, tail 5-75, bill 075, tarsus 1. 



Female. Somewhat smaller and duller in colour than the male ; 

 the vinous-purple colour of the neck more greyish. 



Young. Head mingled with grey and purple ; back brown ; many 

 feathers of the neck edged with ruddy. 



Hub. From South Africa to Abyssinia on the east, and to Benguela 

 and Angola on the west. 



a. Ad. sk. S. Africa. Laugier Coll. 



h, c, ,1. Ad. sk. S. Africa. J. Rocke, Esq. [P.]. 



e. Ad. sk. S. Africa. Earl of Derby [P.]. 



/. Ad. sk. Cape of Good Hope. Tweeddale Coll. 



g. Ad.sk. Kingwilliainstown. Capt. Trevelyan [P.]. 



h. Ad. sk. Kingwilliamstown. Lieut. Anstey [P.]. 



i. Jad.sk. Bustenberg, Nov. (T. Gurney Coll. 



Ay res), 



k. Ad. sk. Natal. Shelley Coll. 



I, m. $ ad. et ad. Burg Mountains, May Shelley Coll. 



sk. (Gordge). 



n. d juv. sk. Pinetown, Sept. (T. Shelley Coll. 



Ay res). 



o,p. <3 2 ad. sk. Zomba, Nyassaland, Sept. H. H. Johnston, Esq. 



[C.]. 



q. 3 ad. sk. Kilimanjaro, 10,000 ft. H. H. Johnston, Esq. 



[C.]. 



r. Skeleton. S. Africa. Purchased*. 



* 1 am not acquainted with the following variety : — 



Columba arquatrix, var.?, Boc. Jorn. Sc. Lisb. xii. p. S2 (St. Thomas I.) 



(1887). 

 Columba arquatrix, var. thomensis, Boc. Jorn. Sc. Lusb. sii. pp. 230, 232 



(St. Thomas I.) (1888). 



Similar to C. arquatrix, but larger and showing the following differ- 

 ences: — 1st, the forehead, sides of the head, and throat slate-ashy instead of 

 vinous red ; 2nd, the front part of the neck is like the back, and the breast of a 

 dark uniform vinous-red tinge, while the same parts in C. arquatrix are of a 

 pale vinous grey, with numerous purplish-black spots in the centre of the 

 feathers (!) ; 3rd, the general colour is browner; 4th. the white spots on the 

 wing-coverts and on the abdomen are smaller and more distant from each 

 other. Length 1493 inches, wing 9-04, tail 7, bill 078, tarsus 141. (Trans- 

 lation.) 



Hab. Island of St. Thomas, W. Africa. 



