COLUMBID^. 231 



279. Stictcenas phseonotllS, Gray. Roussard Pigeon. 



Le Ramier roussard, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 265. 



Columba guinea, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 



1852, p. 156. 



Columba guinea, Layard's Cat. No. 505. 

 Columba guinea, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 411. 

 Columba trigonigera, Gurney, in Ibis, 1868, p. 164. 

 Columba guineensis (part.), Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 



p. 539. 

 Stictcenas phceonotus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9262. 



This Pigeon is common throughout Damara and 

 Great Namaqua Land, and congregates in immense 

 flocks about March, April, and May, after the breeding- 

 season, and may then be obtained in any quantity at 

 the expense of a little powder and shot, which these 

 birds are well worth, as their flesh is well-tasted and 

 gamy. 



Bonaparte has endeavoured to separate the South- 

 African bird from that of the west coast on the ground 

 that the spots on the wings are smaller, and the colour 

 of the lower part of the back resembles that of the head ; 

 but are these differences sufficient to warrant the esta- 

 blishment of two distinct species ] I must say that for 

 my own part I do not think they are. 



In this Pigeon the inner ring of the iris is yellow, the 

 outer yellowish red ; the large naked spaces round the 

 eyes, the lores, and corners of the mouth are deep red ; 

 the cere is whitish horn-colour ; the bill is dark horn- 

 colour, except the base of the lower mandible, which is 

 livid. 



