NESTING IN WESTEBN INDJA. S29 



"This is a very common bird below ghats in Kanara, and I have 

 noticed it from November to the end o$ May > so it must breeSin 

 the district. I have, however, never been able to find its nest." 



770.— THE ASHY-HEADED (ill HEX PIGEON. 



Osiitptreron malabarlca, J<erd. 

 " This is much the commonest Green Pigeon in Kanara, and indeed 

 practically one sees dozens every day, both above and below the 

 ghats, the red back of the male being very easily noticed. I have 

 taken numbers of the nests, which are slight structures generally 

 placed from 8 to 15 feet from the ground, and mostly in small tre< 3. 

 The male is quite as commonly seen incubating the eggs as the 

 female. E«^s taken from January to March." 



7*0.— THE GREEN IMPERIAL PIGEON 



Carpoplioya cenea, Lin. 



"This bird is fairly common in all the evergreen jungles in Kanara 

 above the ghats, though I do not recollect to have seen it below the 

 ghats ; these Imperial Pigeons are however shy and difficult to shoot, 

 and on the wing they are barely distinguishable from each other ; 

 their notes do differ considerably, and that is the main clue as to 

 which kind is about. 



" The only nest I took was an ordinary dove's nest, fairly solid, and 

 contained one very large pure Avhite egg. It was taken on the 25th 

 February, but I shot another on the 30th April, containing an egg 

 which would have been laid in forty-eight hours, so they probably 

 breed throughout the hot weather." 



781.— THE BRONZE-BACKED IMPERIAL PIGEON. 



Catpophaga insignis, Hodgs. 

 " This is a permanent resident in Kanara, as I have seen it at all 

 seasons. It is fairly distributed throughout all the thick evergreen 

 jungle below the ghats, also on the ridge, and for a mile or two 

 further east. It may be found elsewhere, but though I have seen 

 the two species close to the ridge of the ghats, I have never noticed 

 this bird further east below the ghats. The only nest I took was 

 very similar to the last, and contained a single fresh egg ; it was 

 taken just below the ridge of the ghats on the loth February." 



