TYPICAL PIGEONS. 



255 



up part of the summer in discovering a pair among 

 several, and at length this pair supplied me in August 

 with two young ones. In the Basle Zoological Gardens 

 a pair was to be found in the year 1885, and in the 

 year 1891 Fockelmann imported another." 



The species which reached our Gardens in 1858 and 

 bred freely was undoubtedly the Naked-eyed Pigeon, 

 not the Picazuro ; therefore it is probable that most, 

 if not all, of Russ's remarks apply to the same 

 .species. 



PICAZURO PIGEON (Columba picazuro). 



The prevailing colour of the adult male is rich 

 vinous, but the back of the neck is grey, each feather 

 with a pale subterminal and a black marginal bar ; 

 farther back the feathers are lilacine ; the centre of 

 upper back, scapularies and upper wing-coverts smoky 

 brown, the coverts becoming greyer and white-edged 

 outwardly; the greater coverts with broad white 

 borders ; quills grey, darker towards the tips ; lower 

 back, rump, upper and under tail-coverts, leaden grey ; 

 tail of the same colour but broadly belted with black ; 

 bill black ; feet crimson ; iris red. The female is 

 probably rather smaller and with more slender bill. 

 Hab., Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. 



In the breeding season this pigeon is met with in 

 pairs, building its flat nest in hot low-lying woodlands 

 and laying two white eggs similar to those of our Rock 

 Pigeon. In winter it is seen in flocks of from a score 

 to two hundred individuals. The coo consists of five 

 long-drawn, intensely mournful notes, which are said 

 to have a very human sound. 



There is no doubt that in its wild state this pigeon 

 feeds upon grain and young green shoots ; it is very 

 .stately in its movements when on the ground; in 

 August it appears to live principally upon clover leaves. 



At night, like many pigeons, this species roosts on 

 very lofty trees ; it is a timid bird. Gibson says that 

 .it breeds in November and December, and that in six 

 .nests which he examined each contained only one egg ; 

 Hudson, on the other hand, declares that two are 

 deposited, which is what one would expect in the case 

 of a Columba. 



Mr. W. A. Forbes says (The Ibis, 1881, p. 356) : 

 " This Pigeon is well known to the Brazilians as the 

 ' Azu Branca,' or White-winged Dove. I was 

 told it was sometimes abundant round Parahyba, and 

 .also heard of it at Quipapa, Garunhune, and other 

 places. However, I never succeeded in seeing it wild, 

 though I got several living specimens at Parahyba 

 and elsewhere." 



Mr. O. V. Aplin remarks of it at Uruguay (The Ibis, 

 1894, p. 201) : " A fairly abundant resident, living 

 in the monte and visiting the ohacras for maize both 

 at seed-time and harvest. At these times it is very 

 wary, and reminds one of the Wood-Pigeons at home 

 by setting a sentinel on the fence. In the breeding- 

 season they often frequent the tall gums about 

 -estancia houses, where their low, deep coo may be 

 heard ; it is a long, grating oooooJc, followed by coo- 

 coo-cooooo. This magnificent Pigeon has the irides 

 bright yellow; eyelids and small space behind the eye 

 crimson; legs crimson. It is known as the ' Paloma, ' 

 and also as ' Torcasa grande. ' ' 



Dr. E. Lonnberg, describing the bird as observed by 

 him in the Bolivian Chaco (The Ibis, 1903, p. 459), 

 describes the iris as " light grey," so that it is ev^ 

 <lent that, as with many other species, the soft parts 

 differ in colouring in different parts of the bird's 

 range, and probably represent the first steps towards 

 -differentiation and the evolution of fresh species. 



The London Zoological Society purchased two 



examples of this species in 1868, and in 1875 three 

 others were presented ; it occasionally appears in the 

 market, and is quite likely to have been privately 

 bred. 



SPOT- WINGED PIGEON (Columba maculosa). 



This bird is slightly smaller and distinctly greyer 

 than the preceding, the sides of the head deep grey ; 

 feathers of the mantle, scapularies, and upper wing- 

 coverts sooty brown, tipped with triangular white 

 spots; outer greater coverts bluish-grey, with white 

 edges ; quills grey-black edged narrowly with whitish ; 

 bill grey; feet red; iris grey. Hab., Paraguay, Argen- 

 tina, and Patagonia. 



This appears to be a commoner bird than the pre- 

 ceding, and is certainly more frequently imported ; 

 from its fondness for grain and its rapidity of move- 

 ment when feeding it is ,said to be a great plague to 

 the farmers, vast flocks settling down on the newly-sown 

 fields and devouring the wheat before it has had time 

 to sprout. The coo is described by Hudson as similar 

 in number and length of notes to that of the Picazuro 

 Pigeon, but much hoarser, like that of the English 

 Wood-Pigeon. 



White found this bird in flocks in paddocks and 

 lucerne-fields, their crops being filled with young 

 lucerne shoots. 



Mr. 0. V. Aplin says (The Ibis, 1894, p. 201) : 

 "Abundant in the wide monte of the Rio Negro, where 

 it frequents chiefly parts where there are open 

 glades. At Sta Elenait it was much less common, but 

 I have shot it in the rincon of the Monzon and Arroyo 

 Grande. The cry of this bird has a resemblance to 

 that of our large Wood-Pigeon in sound and delivery, 

 but has only three notes, cooo . . . ko . . . coo-ooo. 

 The legs and feet of this bird are crimson, not yellow." 



Dr. E. Lonnberg says (The Ibis, 1903, p. 459) : 

 " In great flocks near water, Colonia Crevaux, in 

 April, 1902. Iris greyish yellow." 



The first six examples of this species to reach the 

 London Zoological Gardens were purchased in 1870, 

 and were supposed to have come from Chili ; another 

 example was deposited in 1872. A good many have 

 been bred in the Gardens up to 1902 : three in 1894 

 two in 1895, one in 1900, 1901, and 1902. 



OLIVE PIGEON (Columba arquatrix). 



Upper back, smaller scapulars, and inner half of 

 wing- coverts deep purplish-chestnut, shading into 

 leaden-grey on the rest of the wing-coverts ; the smaller 

 scapulars and lesser and median coverts spotted with 

 white at the tips; flights brownish black; lower back 

 and rump deep slate-grey, shading into black on the 

 upper tail-coverts ; tail also black ; feathers at back and 

 sides of neck partly showing their black bases; front 

 of crown, cheeks, and neck deep vinaceous purple; 

 back of crown grey; breast slaty-purple with whitish 

 spots at tips of feathers; feathers between neck and 

 breast deep purple, with broad vinaceous purple 

 borders ; abdomen, under tail-coverts, and under wing- 

 coverts slate-grey; bill, feet, and naked orbital skin 

 yellow; irides greenish. Female rather smaller and 

 duller in colour, the vinous-purple of the neck greyer. 

 Hab., South Africa to Abyssinia on the east, and to 

 Benguela and Angola on the west. 



According to Ayres the iris is yellow. 



In Stark and Sclater's "Birds of South Africa," Vol. 

 IV., p. 164, we read: "This, the largest of South 

 African Pigeons, is chiefly an inhabitant of the forest ; 

 it seems to be partially migratory in its habits, appear- 

 ing in very large numbers at certain seasons of the 

 year, when the forest fruits are ripe, especially those 



