Columbidee of the Ethiopian Region. 327 



Tympanistria fraseri, Bp. Consp. Gen. Av. ii. 1857, p. 67. 



Peristera fraseri, Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 24.4 (1870). 



Chalcopelia tympanistria, Shelley, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 678, 

 Great Comoro ; Fisclier, J. f. O. 1879, p. 300. 



Tympanistria tympanistria, Butler, Feilden, & Reid, Zoolo- 

 gist, 1883, p. 338, Natal. 



Male. Forehead, front half of the crown, a broad eyebrow, 

 chin, throat, and breast white ; remainder of the upper parts 

 brown, slightly darker on the crown and slightly washed with 

 grey at its junction with the white on the crown and sides of 

 the neck ; ear-coverts and a narrow band from the eyes to 

 the lores brownish black ; bastard wing dark brown, often 

 partially washed with chestnut; primary-coverts and pri- 

 maries chestnut, with broad ends and partial margins of dark 

 brown; the half of the secondaries next to the primaries 

 rufous, shading into brown towards their edges ; remaining 

 half of the secondaries uniform brown, like the wing-coverts ; 

 a few of the inner greater wing-coverts and the largest 

 scapulars have boldly marked black patches on their outer 

 webs, these blotches have generally a metallic gloss of violet, 

 steel-blue, or green ; just below the centre of the back are 

 two broad bands, more or less distinct, of blackish brown, and 

 between them a pale band often inclining to brownish buff 

 with an ashy shade ; remainder of the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts uniform brown like the mantle ; the six centre tail- 

 feathers uniform brown with a reddish tinge, the outer six 

 feathers shade into grey with a broad subterminal black band ; 

 the white of the breast gradually passes into brown on the 

 tail-coverts and on the outer thigh-coverts ; under surface of 

 the tail slaty black, with narrow greyish ends to the outer six 

 feathers; axillaries and under surface of the wings rufous, 

 with the ends and partial outer margins to the quills dark 

 brown ; the first primary is much sulcated and for 0"8 

 inch of its end it is not broader than the outer web of the 

 second quill ; iris brown; bill purple slate-colour; legs red. 

 Total length 8*4 inches, culmen 0*6, wing 4*65, tail 3*9^ 

 tarsus 0'75. 



