258 Capt. G. E. Shelley on the 



XXVIII. — On the Columbidse of the Ethiopian Region. 

 By Captain G. E. Shelley, F.Z.S. 



Great confusion has arisen in the nomenclature of the 

 African species of this family. I have no new names to pro- 

 pose ; but I trust, by arranging the older ones in their proper 

 places, to establish better order amongst the African mem- 

 bers; and if I succeed in doing this I shall attain the object 

 of my present endeavours. 



Within ray range I shall include Palestine and the islands 

 surrounding Africa, such as Socotra, the Seychelles, Mada- 

 gascar, and those extending as far eastward as Rodriguez ; 

 as also St. Helena, the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the 

 Azores. These latter islands, together with the shores of the 

 Mediterranean and Palestine, really belong to the Western 

 Palsearctic Region, and I shall thus include six species [Columba 

 oenas, Palumbus palumbus, P. trocaz, P. bollii, P. laurivorus, 

 and Turtur risorius) which are not, properly speaking, mem- 

 bers of the Ethiopian Region. 



The order Columbse I shall divide into two families : — 



1. Columbidee. The true Pigeons, with wings adapted for 



flight. 



2. Dididce. The Dodos, with wings obsolete, not adapted for 



flight. 



The latter family I shall rapidly pass over, its representa- 

 tives being now extinct. 



Of the family Columbidse there are likewise two extinct 

 Ethiopian species : one, Columba rodericana, Milne-Edwards, 

 is only known by a few bones. It was a native of Rodriguez, 

 and probably belonged to the genus Alectroenas ; but I shall 

 not treat further of it here. The other (more recently) ex- 

 tinct form is Alectroenas nitidissima, of Mauritius, which I 

 shall give a place to amongst the existing species. 



The family Columbidee I shall divide into two subfamilies, 

 to be distinguished by the number of their tail-feathers : — 

 1. Subfamily Treroninse, with 14 tail-feathers, contains two 

 genera, Alectroenas and Treron. 



