Columbidifi of the Ethiopian Region. 319 



terminatis ; subalaribus cineraceis ; rostro plumbeo, 

 apiceflavicante; pedibus carneis : long, totalO'S^alse 5*75, 

 caudae 3'9, tarsi 1-1 poll. Angl. et dec/' (Sclater.) 

 Hab. Aldabra Island. 



I have here quoted Mr. Sclater's original description^ as I 

 have not had the opportunity of examining the type. It is 

 most nearly allied to T. comorensis, from which it chiefly 

 differs in its smaller size, its wing being nearly one inch 

 shorter; also, according to Mr. E. Newton, it has a more 

 vinous colouring on the back, rump, and tail. From T. pic- 

 turatus it differs in the absence of grey on the head, and from 

 T. rostratus in the absence of grey on the rump and two 

 centre tail-feathers, as well as in its much smaller bill. 



33. TURTUR COMORENSIS. 



Turtur picturatus, Schl. & Poll. Faun. Madag. Ois. 18G8, 

 p. 113, pt., Mayotte. 



Turtur comorensis, E. Newton, P. Z. S. 1877, pp. 300, 302, 

 Anjuan; Shelley, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 678. 



Head, neck, and front portion of the upper back vinous 

 purple, shading into chestnut on the smaller wing-coverts 

 and into brown on the remainder of the back, wings, and two 

 centre tail-feathers ; on the sides of the neck a very partial 

 collar, formed by the black basal portion of these feathers 

 being partially exposed ; the primaries are dark brown, with 

 very narrow pale edges ; the sides of the middle back are 

 shaded with slaty grey ; the feathers of the rump and upper 

 tail-coverts are slightly edged with rufous ; remainder of the 

 tail brownish black, with a broad pale end and a very narrow 

 pale edge ; the pale end is grey, washed with brown towards 

 the edges of the outer webs, and fades into white on the inner 

 webs towards the outer feathers ; under surface of the tail 

 black and white; the vinous purple of the neck gradually 

 fades into pale vinous towards the centre of the breast, into 

 white on the abdomen and under tail-coverts, and into slaty 

 grey on the sides of the body ; under wing-coverts brownish 

 slate-colour ; under surface of the quills dark brown ; iris 

 red ; bill slate-colour, with the end yellow ; legs pinkish red. 



