180 COLUMBID^ CHALCOPELIA 



The nest is built in a low tree, and consists of the usual rough 

 platform of sticks, on which are laid two yellowish -white eggs. 



A clutch of two, taken by Mr. A. D. Millar, on December 10th, 

 at Umgeni, near Durban, and presented by him to the South African 

 Museum, are oval, smooth and ivory-white, measuring '95 x '75. 



Genus VI. CHALCOPELIA. 



Type. 

 Chalcopelia, Bp..Consp. Av. ii, p. 67 (1854) ..................... C. afra. 



Bill slender, the horny tip shorter than the swollen basal portion, 

 wings moderate, not so rounded as in Tympanistria, the second 

 quill the longest, first quill normal, not attenuated ; tail shorter than 

 the wing, slightly graduated, the difference between the inner and 

 outer feathers about half the length of the tarsus ; metallic spots 

 on the scapulars and wings ; sexes only slightly different. 



One species only, spread over Tropical and South Africa, has 

 been hitherto reconised. 





641. Chalcopelia afra. Emerald-spotted Dove. 



Columba afra, Linn. Syst. Nat. 12th ed. i, p. 284 (1766). 



Le Tourterelle emeraudine, Levaill Ois. d'4/V.vi, p. 84, pi. 271 (1808). 



Columba chalcospilos, Wagler, Syst. Av. Columba, sp. 83 (1827) ; Grill, 



K. Vet. Akad. Handl. ii, no. 10, p. 51 (1858) [KnysnaJ . 

 Peristera afra, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 262 (1867) ; Gurney, Ibis, 1868, 



pp. 48, 164 [Natal] . 



Peristera chalcospila, Shelley, Ibis, 1875, p. 84. 

 Chalcopelia afra, Gurney, 'in Andersson's B. Damaral. p. 236 (1872) ; 



Gates, Matabeleland, p. 322 (1881) ; Holub & Pelzeln, Orn. Siid-Afr. 



p. 176 (1882) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1883, p. 323 ; SJiarpe, ed. Layard' s B. 

 . S. Afr. p. 570 (1884) ; W. Ayres, Ibis, 1887, p. 60 [Eovirand] ; 



Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xxi, p. 506 (1893) ; Fleck, Journ. Ornith. 1894, 



p. 389 ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 137 (1896) ; Bendall, Ibis, 1896, p. 174 ; 



Sharpe, Ibis, 1897, p. 515 [Eshowe] ; Woodward Bros. Natal B. 



p. 134 (1899) ; Marshall, Ibis, 1900, p. 270 ; Alexander, Ibis, 1900, 



p. 428 ; Reichenow, Vog. Afr. i, p. 426 (1901). 

 " Isikombazena " of Zulus (Woodward). 



Description. Adult male. Crown and occiput slaty-grey, palest 

 on the forehead ; mantle and wings earthy-brown ; quills and 

 primary coverts cinnamon, edged on the outer web and largely 

 tipped with dark-brown ; on the inner webs of some of the inner 

 coverts and inner secondaries some metallic patches of steely-green 



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