Columbidae of the Ethiopian Region. 273 



but by this means I think we arrive at an apparently natural 

 arrangement^ which can be easily followed, although perhaps 

 the value of the genera may in some instances be questioned. 



I. CoLUMBA. Type. 



Cotumba, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 1766, p. 279 . C. livia. 

 Tcenioenas, Reichb. 1853, fide Gray, Taub. 



1855, p. 59 C. albitorques. 



Lithoenas, Reichb. torn. cit. p. 54 . . . . C. livia. 

 Palumboena, Bp. Compt. Rend, xxxix. 1854, 



p. 1107 C. oenas. 



The members of the genus Columba, unlike all other 

 Pigeons, breed in holes. 



Six species are met with on the African continent ; but 

 one, C. oenas, properly belongs only to the Western Palse- 

 arctic Region. 



C. chlorophcea, Hartl., from Prince's Island, is, in my 

 opinion, after an examination of the type in the British 

 Museum, nothing but a variety of C. livia, and C. schimperi 

 is another variety of that species. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Mantle grey. 



a\ Entire underparts grey ; with no white bar on the 

 tail. 

 «■■'. With no white on the neck. 



a'. Neck glossed all round with metallic green, 

 passing into coppery purple on the front and 



sides ; under wing-coverts white 1. livia. 



6*. Neck glossed only on the sides and back with 

 metallic green ; under wing-coverts leaden 



grey 2. osnas. 



fc*. With a large white patch on the nape 3. albitorques. 



ft' . Middle of the abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; 



a broad white bar on the tail 4. unicincta. 



b. Mantle brown ; wing-coverts spotted with white. 



6\ Rump and upper tail-coverts ashy white 5. ffiwieensis. 



f'. Rump and upper tail-coverts deep leaden grey . . , , 6, ph(Ponofa. 



