202 



ABYSSINIAN VINAGO. 



Vinago Abyssiniaa, CUVIER. 



Head, neck, and breast, light olivaceous-grey ; body beneath 

 yellow ; wing-covers vinaceous ; under tail-covers cinnamon. 



Le Columba Abyssinica, the male, Latham^ Auctorum. Le 

 Colombar a epaulettes violettes? Le Vaill, Ois. d'Af. vi. 

 pi. 276, 



ALL writers have followed Le Yaillant in consider- 

 ing this and the bird we shall next describe as male 

 and female of one species, and certainly the authority 

 of one who had such ample means for ascertaining 

 the fact, should have due influence. The question, 

 however, is whether such means were used? and 

 whether Le Yaillant, deceived by the opinion that 

 his Colombar was the only pigeon that had " Epau- 

 lettes violettes" has not hastily concluded that these 

 two were but sexes of one ? Our belief is that they 

 are different, and for the following reasons : Yina- 

 ceous red, or, as Le Yaillant calls it, " Viollette" 

 upon the shoulders, is rather a generic than a specific 

 character in this group, for it is found in more than 

 one-half of the species ; the same may be said of 

 the red, or brown, or cinnamon colour, of the under 

 tail-covers, and the pale yellow margins of the 



