COLUMBID^, 257 



of tail, black on the upper side ; legs and cere round the eye, 

 in life, crimson ; bill dark cinereous. Length, 12" ; wing, 

 8" 9"' ; tail, 4|". 



Common througliout the colony, nesting in rocky places, on inac- 

 cessible ledges and holes ; never in trees. They fly in flocks when 

 the crops are on the ground, and do considerable damage to the agri- 

 culturist. 



In the sea-face of the mountains, of which Cape Point forms the 

 extreme south, there are numerous caverns tenanted by these birds. 

 Some years ago I entered one of them in a boat, and for the first time 

 had the pleasure of seeing this fine pigeon breeding in considerable 

 numbers : every ledge of the cavern side was tenanted by as many 

 nests as could be conveniently stowed away, while the parent birds 

 were continually arriving or departing on their busy task of feeding 

 their young. The cave was unapproachable except by water, and one 

 would have thought that the birds would have been careless in conse- 

 quence in the choice of their eyrie ; but not a nest was accessible. 1 

 nave, however, obtained eggs of this species from other sources ; they, 

 are always two in number, glazy white, nearly similar at each, end : 

 axis, 17"'; diameter, 12"'. 



506. Columba DelagOrgUi, Verreaux; G.Johan- 

 nce, Verr. ; G. Lunigera, Gr. 



General colour, dark slaty grey, shading into purple brown, 

 except the tail and wing feathers, which are blackish ; lower 

 part of neck, towards the top of head, blotched with white ; 

 and all the neighbouring parts, in front and back, from 

 cheeks to breast, are iridescent, with emerald, amethyst, and 

 purple tints, each colour prevailing according to the position 

 of the bird ; the beak is black from base to centre, the rest 

 yellow ; feet also yellow. The female differs from the male 

 by having the head reddish-brown, dashed with amethyst, 

 and by the total absence of the white blotches on the base of 

 the neck. Length, 30 centimeters. 



Inhabits the forests in the neighbourhood of Port Natal, but is very 

 rare (Delagorgue's Voyages). 



507. Columba Arquatrix , Temm. Pig., t. 5 ; 



Le Rameron, Le Vail, No. 264 ; Guv., Vol. 3, p. 78 ; 

 Olive-Dove and Bush-Dove of Colonists, 



General colour above, dark ashy, inclining to reddish on the 

 back and shoulders ; light on the edge of the wing ; and very 

 dark on the tail, over which there is a decided greenish 

 tinge ; wings, at the shoulders, spotted with white ; forehead 

 vinaceous, passing into light ash- colour on the back of the 

 head ; chin, neck, and breast, obscure vinaceous, mottled with 



