(ENA CAPENSIS. 573 
Captain Trevelyan writes: “I have very seldom noticed this bird 
in British Kaffraria, but for a few days a pair were constantly seen 
feeding in the barrack square in Kingwilliamstown. Writing in 
1865, Mr. Ayres says: “This I killed in January, 1864; it is one 
of the scarcest birds here, and I have seen but three since my arrival 
in Natal some thirteen or fourteen years ago. This is the first I 
have shot; it was busily engaged in our garden, picking up, with 
extraordinary swiftness, some small grass seeds from the ground. 
The flight is even, and the beat of the wings extremely rapid. It is, 
as far as I know, the smallest of our Doves. The tail seemed to 
have a decided tendency to divide, or fork.” Mr. Frank Oates 
procured a specimen between Pretoria and Bamangwato, and again 
near the Crocodile River in July: he also met with it at Tati in 
September. Mr. Ayres, who accompanied Mr. Jameson’s expedition 
to the Mashoona country, writes as follows :—‘“‘ Tolerably plentiful 
along our route as far as the Inshlangeen river in Matabele, but we did 
not notice it to the north of that locality. Southward again on the 
Harts River in Griqualand it was very abundant.” The accompany- 
ing note is taken from Mr. Andersson’s “ Birds of Damara Land.” 
“This exquisite little Dove inhabits most parts of Ovampo, Damara, 
and Great Namaqua Land, but is most abundant in the latter country, 
and is known by the name of ‘ Namaqua Dove’ to the Dutch Cape- 
colonists. This species occurs in pairs, and is chiefly found frequent- 
ing the ground ; and when disturbed, it seeks shelter in low trees 
or bushes, but rarely in the larger trees. It feeds on seed; and its 
flesh is very palatable. It constructs its nest on a low bush of 
similar materials to those employed by its congeners, but with rather 
more care. Its two white eggs have a rosy tint, from the thinness 
and semi-transparency of the shell.” Senor Anchieta has forwarded 
specimens to the Lisbon Museum from Humbe on the Cunene River 
(native name Tundulo), and from Capangombe in Benguela (native 
name Kagolulo.) 
Above ash-coloured ; bluish on the secondaries, with a rich purple 
spot; wing-feathers deep red, edged with dark-brown; forehead, 
cheeks, chin, throat, and chest, glossy black ; as are also the under 
sides of the tail-feathers, the outermost of which are blotched with 
white ; a white bar almost hidden by the closed wing extends across 
the rump, succeeded after a little interval by a narrow black one— 
the ends of the tail-coverts, black, form a third bar on the tail; bill 
