on the Pigeons of the Gambia.



37



some wings (and later a skin or two) to the British Museum, where

they were identified as young Turtle Doves.


February 11th, 1912.—Ida, South Bank Province. These

Doves are very numerous on the dry swamp near the landing-place

—nearly as plentiful here as the common Ringneck Dove. On the

wing they look larger than these, the wings and tail conspicuously

longer; the latter, too, shows much more white. Their flight is

much quicker and more dashing.


1916.—Turtle Doves are plentiful for days together at Ida,

generally about February. They provide good but difficult shooting,

as they fly very fast and anything but straight. Another place in the

South Bank where I have had good Turtle shooting is Jarreng. Here

on two or three occasions they have been coming over in flocks in the

late afternoon, all flying north and very high up. This year it was

on May 1st that I saw them, but in previous years it has been earlier

— March or April. These Jarreng birds are all evidently definitely on

their Europe journey. At Ida, on the other hand, one finds them

resting or loitering on the road, staying for days at a time — it may

be weeks, but my movements always prevent my staying long in any

one place. Here one sees them feeding on the ground with the

Ringneck Doves during the day, but the time for good shooting is

the evening, when they are flighting from water to roost. They

come through and over the low thorns and other scrub at a

tremendous pace, zigzagging and swerving all the time. Most

satisfactory shooting, especially if one is hitting them.


1918. — This year I was at Ida the day they arrived, February

12th. On the 11th there were none, but during the following days

their numbers increased, though they never became as numerous as

they were last year about the same date.


I see occasional Turtles at other places, but the South Bank

Province, Ida, in February or March, and Jarreng, as passers-by

rather late in the year, are the only places where I have found them

in any number.


I have also seen occasional examples elsewhere in the Pro¬

tectorate, but the chief thing about them in the Gambia is their local

distribution and their constancy as to time in their arrivals at the

places they select as rests.



