COLUMBID-2E COLUMBA 163 



Oakley, while acknowledging that this Pigeon usually builds among 

 the rocks, states that he found two nests in the hollows of a Kaffir 

 boom (Erythrina) in the Transkei. The eggs are always two in 

 number, glazy white, and nearly similar at both ends, measuring 

 1-4 x TO. There is a clutch of two eggs in the South African 

 Museum taken by Major Sparrow near Fickburg in the Orange 

 Eiver Colony on August 1, 1901, and another from Mooi River in 

 Natal, taken on March 8, 1904. 



This bird is closely allied to the wild Eock Pigeon of Europe, 

 from which all our domestic breeds are believed to have been 



632. Columba arquatrix. Olive Pigeon. 



Le Eameron, Levaill Ois. d'Afr. vi, p. 67, pi. 264 (1808). 



Columba arquatrix, Temm. & Knip, Pig. i, fam. sec. p. 11, pi. 5 (1808- 



13) ; Grill, K. Vet, AJcad. Handl. ii, no. 10, p. 51 (1858) [Knysna] ; 



Gurney, Ibis, 1860, p, 213 [Durban] ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 257 



(1867) ; id. Ibis, 1869, p. 459 ; Ayres, Ibis, 1876, p. 433, 1880, p. 109, 



1885, p. 345; Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xxi, p. 276 (1893) ; Shelley, B. 



Afr. i, p. 135 (1896) ; Woodward Bros. Ibis, 1898, p. 217 ; id. Natal 



B. p. 130 (1899) ; Beichenoiv, Vog. Afr. i, p. 403 (1901) ; Whitehead, 



Ibis, 1903, p. 234. 

 Palumbus arquatrix, Shelley, Ibis, 1883, p. 283 ; Sharpe, ed. Layard' s B. 



S. Afr. p. 561 (1884). 

 "Ramerooii Pigeon" of some authors; " Oliven duif," or, like the last 



species, "Bosch duif " of the Dutch; "Black Pigeon" of the Natal 



Colonists ; " Izuba " of the Amaxosa (Stanford). 



Description. Adult. Front half of the crown and cheeks dark 

 vinous purple ; occiput and nape silvery- slate ; hind neck with a 

 series of somewhat pointed semi-erect vinous pink feathers with 

 concealed black bases forming a collar ; mantle and upper half of 

 the wings dark vinous purple, becoming slaty and darker on the 

 greater coverts and quills ; a series of white rounded spots on the 

 scapulars and lesser wing-coverts ; rump dark slate shading into 

 black on the tail coverts and feathers ; chin and throat vinous pink, 

 the lower feathers with darker bases forming an incomplete trans- 

 verse band ; breast darker, a vinous purple spotted with white ; 

 abdomen and under tail- coverts slate. 



Iris yellow, bill, bare skin round the eye and legs yellow. 

 Length about 15-5; wing 9-25 ; tail 6'0 ; culmen -9 ; tarsus 1-10; 

 weight 16-17 oz. (Ayres). 



The female is slightly smaller and duller in colour ; in the young 



