30



Dr. E. Hopkinson,



they are sure to have gone into the soup. The skin when cooked is

yellowish-green and the bones bright yellow.


The Guinea Pigeon (Columba guinea , Linn., 1766) (Guinea).


Range: West Africa; Senegambia to Nigeria; N.E. and E. Africa

to Kilimanjaro. (Brit. Mus. Hand List.)


This, the largest Gambian Pigeon, is commonly called here

the “Rhun Pigeon,” because it is only found in those districts where

these tall bulbous-trunked palms grow ( Alyssus , I believe). On these,

among the stalks of their huge, fan-shaped leaves, the Guinea Pigeons

roost and nest. They are, therefore, only locally distributed in the

Gambia, but where found are in most places quite common, though

near wharves and factories they are certainly rarer than they were

ten to fifteen years ago. During this period these places have

increased rapidly in numbers and size. These Pigeons, unlike most

of our others, seem easily frightened by the near neighbourhood of

man, although they are never much sought after by gunners, for

their flesh is dry and tasteless at its best, and at certain times almost

uneatable. One never sees them in flocks even where they are

common, but in pairs, or at times parties of never more than six—

probably an old pair and two nests of young, as these remain with

their parents for some time after leaving the nest. Such a pair or

party keeps within comparatively narrow limits, except when flying

to and from water. With them and the rhun palms is commonly

associated one of our grey Hawks (the Rufous-necked Merlin, Falco

rjificollis, I think), which also nests in these palms, and which

appears to live in perfect peace and harmony with the Pigeons, even

to the extent of a pair of each making use of the same tree for

breeding purposes.


The flight of these Pigeons is comparatively slow, and accom¬

panied with frequent wing-beats as a rule, though at times when

flighting to water they put the pace on and fly more strongly. They

can often be seen wheeling slowly about the tops of the palms, much

as tame Pigeons do about the house-tops at home.


Their note is a rapidly repeated “ Koo-ku-ku-ku,” the later

coos getting shorter and shorter and following one another more

quickly.



