336 DOVES— PIGEONS 



whose crooning voices are heard on the outskirts 

 of every village at early morning and each 

 evening at sunset, may be seen about the latter 

 hour flying in large numbers across the maze and 

 millet fields to the nearest watering-place. They 

 travel through the air at a prodigious rate, and 

 usually singly, or in twos and threes. Occasion- 

 ally, however, where for a long time they have been 

 undisturbed, and the native gardens are very 

 extensive, they may be seen in large swarms, and 

 must consume enormous quantities of native 

 food-stuffs ; but their pace is one which, when 

 crossing the sportsman's front or coming down 

 wind overhead, is calculated to try the skill of 

 the most capable. 



There are several other varieties of these birds, 

 including the pretty and extremely delicate fruit- 

 eating pigeon, which is considerably smaller than 

 the rosy-hued, white-collared turtle-dove. 



High up on the plateaux of Gorongoza and 

 Morumbala I have seen and shot a very large 

 bird which is, of course, a true pigeon. It is of 

 white-speckled bluish grey with yellow beak, and 

 of a size slightly larger, I think, than the ordinary 

 British stock-dove. This fine variety inhabits 

 the forested portion of the higher altitudes, and 

 is exceedingly shy and wary. I have been in- 

 formed that they are numerous in certain portions 

 of the Shupanga Forest, which I should have 

 regarded as tather low for them, were it not that 

 some few years ago I actually shot one not very 

 far from Lacerdonia. 



Partridges, consisting of two different species 



