Birds from South-eastern Africa. 359 



169. CoLUMBA PHiEONOTA (Gray). 

 (172) ? , Dry Hart river, 25th January. 



These birds were passing over in flocks from east to west 

 this evening. The crop of our specimen was crammed with 

 the triangular sharp-pointed thorny seed of a plant which 

 grows along the ground in great abundance all over the 

 country near water. These seeds are very troublesome to 

 those who try to walk barefoot ; and dogs are continually 

 temporarily crippled by them ; but the natives, who are 

 accustomed to go barefoot, do not appear to feel them. 



170. TURTUR SEMITORQUATUS (Riipp.) . 



(95) ? , Umvuli river, 8th October. Iris bright orange- 

 red ; bill black ; tarsi and feet dark rose-red. The crop con- 

 tained wild figs. 



This was the only specimen we saw. 



171. TURTUR CAPICOLA (SuudcV.) . 



172. TuRTUR SENEGALENSIS (LiuU.). 



Mashoona, September and October. Seen, but not 

 procured. 



173. CEna capensis (Linn.). 



(141) ^ , Mangwato, 26th December ; ? , Spalding^s Hart 

 river, 29th January. Male — iris dark umber ; bill with the 

 basal half dark lake-red^ the end half a fine dark gamboge ; 

 tarsi and feet dark rose-red. 



Tolerably plentiful along our route as far as the Inshlangeen 

 river, in Matabele ; but we did not notice it to the north of 

 that locality. Southward, again, on the Hart river in Griqua- 

 land it was very abundant. 



174. Pterocles gutturalis. Smith. 



(7) Klaas's Kraal, near Pilansberg, Transvaal, 13th May. 

 Iris umber-brown ; bill whitish ash ; feet dingy ash. 



We found large packs of this Grouse feeding on the caffre- 

 corn, which, at this season^ was hanging dead ripe on the 

 stems. The birds were exceedingly tame, allowing one to 

 walk up to within a few yards of them. Their note, being 

 loud, harsh, and guttural^ can be heard at a considerable dis- 



