82 



AFRICAN PIGEON. 



the hind-part of the neck, the back, wing-coverts, 

 and rump, grey-brown: the throat whitish: the 

 fore-part of the neck and breast pale vinaceous : 

 belly, sides, thighs, and under tail-coverts, dirty- 

 white : the upper tail-coverts grey-brown, with 

 blackish tips : the quills brown, with their inner 

 webs rufous : on each wing are some green-gold 

 spots, glossed with violet : the tail is nearly three 

 inches long; the two middle feathers blackish 

 brown, the rest grey-brown, with dusky ends ; 

 the outer one with a white spot at the tip ; be- 

 neath all are black except the outer one, which 

 has the exterior web for two-thirds of its length 

 white, and a spot at its tip : the legs are red ; claws 

 brown. The female is less than the male, and 

 resembles him entirely, except in the green spots 

 on the wings, which are smaller, and not so 

 brilliant in colour. A variety of this species has 

 the whole of the plumage clearer, and the spots 

 on the wings reflecting a strong purple tinge ; in 

 other respects it is like the first. 



Very abundant towards the rivers Gamtoo, 

 Louvi, and Van Staaden, in Southern Africa : it 

 builds in the borders of the above rivers, and pro- 

 duces two white eggs: its cry cou — cou — cou — 

 cou — is uttered in a very moving and languid 

 tone, and is repeated with loss of breath, and 

 an insensible falling of the voice* 



