36



Dr. E. Hopkinson,



white increasing from within outwards. Sides of face and neck pale

grey washed with purplish-pink, chin almost white ; rest of under

surface slate-grey washed with pink on the chest and sides, and

becoming bluer on the belly ; under surface of wings pale grey.

Irides hazel. Eyelids and bare patch in front of eye dull crimson.

Bill dark grey. Legs purplish-red. Length 13 in.


From about April onwards a great many of the “ Black

Pigeons ” one gets differ considerably from the above description of

a typical Gambian example. These when on the wing look distinctly

paler than the ordinary bird, and have not any proper claim to the

epithet “ black.” In the hand, too, one sees that they are a much

lighter bird, in which the upper parts are a much paler grey—almost

a French grey—and the crown a bluer and brighter shade of this.

The eyelids and bare eye-patch, too, are fuller and a much brighter

crimson. At first I thought we had two distinct species here, but

now feel nearly sure that these lighter examples are the oldest, for

one often gets a bird with plumage intermediate between the dark

and light phases.


In young birds the upper parts are washed with brown, and

the feathers of nearly the whole body have broadish pale edges.

They are also distinctly smaller than the adults.


Turtle Dove ( Streptopelia turtur).


Bange: Breeds in Europe, Western Asia and North Africa . . .


also in Madeira and the Canaries. ... In winter it is found

in North and North-East Africa. (B.O.U. Hand List, 1915.)


Although the Gambia scarcely comes within the winter range,

as given above, the Turtle Dove is certainly a Gambian bird, a winter

visitor, staying with us as a rule only a few days on its northward

journey, and being most local in its haunts.


As no description of this well-known Dove is called for, a

reproduction of the notes I have on this species may take its place.


I knew this Dove in the Gambia long before I knew they were

Turtle Doves, and at one time had a wild idea they were hybrids. At

that time I had only handled one and had not recognised it, but later

on it struck me that they must be Turtle Doves. About 1910 I sent



