TURTUR SENEGALENSIS 233 



the eggs, two in number, are glossy white and oval in shape, 

 measuring about 30 X 22 mm. 



I do not find any constant difference in coloration or size between 

 examples of the Turtle-Dove from Tunisia and those from South 

 Europe. 



TURTUR SENEGALENSIS (Linmeus). 

 EGYPTIAN TURTLE-DOVE 



Columba senegalensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 283 (1766). 



Tartar senegalensis, Bonap. Gat. met. Uco. Eur. p. 52 (1842) ; Salva- 

 dori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mtis. xxi, p. 448 ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, 

 p. 116 (1867) ; Koenig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 253; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 70; 

 Whitaker, Ibis, 1894, p. 96 ; Erlangcr, J. f. 0. 1900, p. 23. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from South Tunisia. 



Head and neck rosy-vinous ; nape, back, and scapulars bronze-brown ; 

 rump bluish-slate ; upper tail-coverts dull brown ; the two central rectrices 

 brown, the remaining tail feathers slate at their bases and white at their 

 tips, with a black band between the two ; primaries brown ; secondaries 

 bluish-ash; upper wing-coverts bluish-grey; throat rosy-vinous; the sides 

 of the neck with a broad collar of black and copper-coloured feathers, 

 extending round the front of the neck, and partly round the hind neck ; 

 breast vinous; centre of abdomen and under tail-coverts white. 



Iris dark brown ; bill dark grey ; feet dull coral-red. 



Total length 10 inches, wing 590, culmen -70, tarsus -75. 



Adult female, similar to the male but rather smaller. 



This handsome little Turtle-Dove is very abundant in most of the 

 palm-oases of South Tunisia, and is not uncommon in some parts of 

 Central Tunisia, but is much rarer north of the Atlas. Occasionally 

 examples may be found exposed for sale in the Tunis market, and I 

 have seen specimens in a small local collection at Bizerta, which were 

 said to have been obtained in the neighbourhood of that town. 



In Central Tunisia I have obtained examples of it in the vicinity 

 of Sfax, but the species did not seem to be common in that neighbour- 

 hood. In the Gafsa oasis, on the contrary, I have always found it 

 very abundant. 



In Algeria I have found this Turtle-Dove most plentiful in the 



