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ABYSSINIAN VINAGO. 
Vinago Abysdnica, Cuvier. 
Head, neck, and breast, light olivaceous-grey ; body beneath 
yellow ; wing-covers vinaeeous ; under tail-covers cinnamon. 
Le Columba Abyssinica, the male, Latham , Auetorum . — Le 
Colombar a epaulettes violettes? Le Vaill., Ois. d'Af vi. 
pi. 276. 
All writers have followed Le Yaillant in consider- 
ing this and the bird we shall next describe as male 
and female of one species, and certainly the authority 
of one who had such ample means for ascertaining 
the fact, should have due influence. The question, 
however, is whether such means were used? and 
whether Le Vaillant, deceived by the opinion that 
his Colombar was the only pigeon that had “ Epau- 
lettes violettes ,” has not hastily concluded that these 
two were hut sexes of one ? Our belief is that they 
are different, and for the following reasons : — Yina- 
ceous red, or, as Le Yaillant calls it, “ Viollette " 
upon the shoulders, is rather a generic than a specific 
character in this group, for it is found in more than 
one-half of the species ; the same may he said of 
the red, or brown, or cinnamon colour, of the under 
tail-covers, and the pale yellow margins of the 
