on the Pigeons of the Gambia.



27



When out absolutely for the pot, as is so often the case out here, one

finds them most difficult to spot when feeding in a tree, as their

colours blend so well with their surroundings and make them almost

impossible to see as long as they keep still, as they do if at all sus¬

picious. The young in their more uniform green are even harder to

make out, but are much more restless when feeding and in all ways

less wary, so when seen are much easier to shoot. They, unlike the

older birds, have no knowledge of guns, and after a shot will return

again and again to the same tree, in spite of losing one or more at every

shot. Old ones never do this; they are away with a dash at the first

shot, and only return when they think all must be safe again. A habit

they have, however, of perching on some big leafless tree, like the

“ monkey-bread ” (baobab), to take from this post of vantage a good

look round before going right away or before on their return actually

alighting on their food tree, often aids one to fill the larder and at

the same time provides good shooting if one finds a stand between

one of their look-out trees and their feeding-place. Their note, too,

is a useful guide to their whereabouts—this a peculiar one, a sort of

chuckle, not easy to imitate (though some of the native small boys

do it to perfection), but once heard never forgotten. It may be more

or less represented thus: “Boo-whoo; whu, whu, whup!” the last

short note being accented, going suddenly up and being followed by

a sharp break, after which the strain is repeated.


The Mandingo name for the Green Pigeon is “ Putu-puto,"

and in some parts of the country the young are given a different

name, “ Teyto-preto.” For a long time I thought that we had two

species here, but now am almost certain that what I thought was a

second is only a stage between the all-green plumage of the red-

beaked young and that of the yellow-breasted adult. The full

dress is probably not obtained till the bird is more than a year

old; at any rate, I have seen birds in the intermediate plumage

nesting, and believe that they may do so also in that of the earlier

stage.


The following is a description of an adult: The whole head,

neck, throat, chest and sides of chest greenish-grey, sharply defined

in front against the upper margin of the yellow abdomen and against

the olive of the mantle behind. The face and forehead are feathered



