on the Pigeons of the Gambia. 29


were shot at Bulelai and Somita, in Fogni, on May 30th and 31st,

1906:


“ Smaller than the ordinary kind, ? another species or

only the young. But they look adult, and one had a developed

but small ovary.


“ Breast all green, no yellow.


“ Shoulder patch paler and smaller than in the ordinary


bird.


“Thigh-feathers olive-green edged with yellow.


“ Head and neck all green, no grey wash.


“ Upper part of back grey, rest of upper surface grey-


green.


“Upper surface of tail French grey; lower, black with

broad pale ash-grey ends.


“ Bed-brown elongated under tail-coverts as in the

ordinary kind. Feet ochreish-orange, bill pale horn turning

blue-grey almost immediately after death.


“ Iris brown.”


I have occasionally tried to keep these birds alive in confine¬

ment, but have never had any success, though one rains I remember

there were three in Bathurst, which had been taken from the nests,

and which lived for months at any rate. They were fed chiefly on

well-boiled, sweetened rice, and never had the chance of getting any of

their natural food, the bush-figs. Those I have had I could never get

to even look at rice or anything of the sort. They would eat readily

ripe figs, etc., but the difficulty of providing a constant supply of this

food soon puts an end to the experiment. Others, however, have

had better fortune, for I remember seeing African Green Pigeons

once or twice in the Zoo, and sullen, uninteresting birds they appear

to be in captivity.


As food Green Pigeons are excellent, always fat and tasty, but,

like anything else one gets too much of, soon pall. I should not like

to say how many I must have eaten in my time, but I know that the

saying, “No one can eat a Pigeon a day for a fortnight,” has no

meaning in the Gambia. Of Pigeons of one sort or other, two or

three a day are more like the Protectorate chop-routine, and that,

too, for months on end. If they do not appear as roast, stew, etc.,



