COLUMBID^ HAPLOPELIA 183 



dark earthy-brown ; lateral tail-feathers with the basal two thirds 

 black, the apical third ashy ; below the chin and cheeks are greyish- 

 white, the breast is pink and slightly metallic, changing to cinnamon 

 on the lower breast, abdomen and under tail-coverts ; under wing- 

 coverts, axillaries and sides of the body dark-brown. 



Iris, inner circle dusky, outer pink, eyelids and bare skin round 

 the eye pink ; bill black ; legs and feet dark-pink. 



Length 12 ; wing 6-0 ; tail 4-20 ; culmen -50 ; tarsus 1-05. 



The female is slightly duller in colour and smaller in size. A 

 young bird has the front of the face dirty- white ; there is no metallic 

 sheen, and the general colour above and below is brown with narrow 

 rufous bars and tips to most of the feathers. 



FIG. 58. Head of Haplopelia larvata. x ^4 



Distribution. The Lemon Dove was first discovered by Levail- 

 lant in the Outeniqua forests of what is now the division of 

 Knysna ; it is entirely confined to the densely wooded districts of 

 the Colony, Natal and the Transvaal ; north of the Zambesi it 

 is replaced by three closely allied subspecies from Nyasaland, 

 Shoa and West Africa respectively. 



The following are recorded localities ; Cape Colony Cape 

 division, January, June, July and November (Victorin and S. A. 

 Mus.), Knysna, January, April, May and July (Andersson and 

 Victorin), George (Atmore), King William's Town (Trevelyan), Port 

 St. Johns, rare (Shortridge) ; Natal Durban, April (Shelley), 

 Eshowe in Zululand (Woodward) ; Transvaal Macamac in Lyden- 

 burg, June, July (Barratt and Ayres). 



Habits. The Lemon Dove is confined to the forest and thick 

 bush, and is seldom or ever found outside. It is generally seen on 

 the ground seeking its food, which consists chiefly of forest berries ; 

 it is shy and by no means easy to see or procure, but can often be 

 heard rustling among the fallen leaves, and thus causing disappoint- 

 ment to the sportsman who is lying in wait for buck ; it has a 



