608 Mr. E. Blyth on the Columbinse. 



of which latter the P. Torringtonii (Carpophaga Torringtonii, 

 Kelaart) can scarcely be considered more than a variety ^'^ and 

 was first indicated as such in the J. A. S. xx. 178. Neverthe- 

 less, according to Mr. Edgar L. Layard, the late H. E. Strick- 

 land '^ at once pronounced it to be distinct" from P. Elphinstonei. 

 All will agree in admitting P. torquatuSj P. pidchricolUs, and 

 P. Elphinstonei as good ' species / probably also P. eoccehus ; 

 but most systematists would prefer retaining casiotis and Tor- 

 ringtonii as ' permanent races/ or ^ varieties/ of P. torquatus 

 and P. Elphinstonei respectively. It will be observed_, that this 

 is a mountain type in India, being wholly unknown in the plains, 

 save P. Elphinstonei rarely on the elevated table-land of the 

 Dukhun ; and perhaps the casiotis may prove to be a winter 

 visitant in the Punjab, occurring probably in large flocks. 



There are two other fine Indian Wood Pigeons of the same 

 Columbine type (as distinguished from the Carpophagine series 

 of Fruit Pigeons) ; each of them being recognized as the type of 

 a separate subdivision by the Prince of Canino. They are the 

 Bendrotreron Hodgsonii (Vigors), which is peculiar to the Hima- 

 layan forests, and the Alsocomus puniceus, Tickell, of Orissa, 

 Central India, and also Ceylon, though seemingly more common 

 in Arakan, and especially the island of Ramri. These are men- 

 tioned merely that it might not appear that they had been over- 

 looked. 



2. Palumbcena, Bonap., founded on Col. amas, L. (P. colum- 

 bella, Bonap.), the British ' Stock Dove,' to which the Prince 

 has since added P. Eversmanni, from western and central Asia ; 

 very like P. cenas, but distinctly smaller, with black bill and 

 yellow tip [dertrum), — the colouring of the bill having doubtless 

 changed in drying, as will be shown presently. This should be 

 the Col. cenas apud Meyendorff, from Bokhara, described as having 

 the croup of a very pale grey, with all the feathers white at base, 

 in which it accords with our Indian species ; and it is not un- 

 likely to prove the very same, — migrating according to season. 

 The true P. cenas probably coexists with it in W. Asia; and 

 the European bird is known to be extensively diffused over N. 

 Africa. 



P. Eversmanni (?), Bonap. (If new, P. cenicapilla, nobis.) 

 Smaller than P. cenasy with wings and tail each 1 inch shorter, 

 the difi'erence in the length of tail being very conspicuous. 

 Colouring much the same ; but the croup and fore-part of the 

 wings underneath are of a whitish-grey (not pure white) in the 

 Indian bird, instead of being uniformly dark-coloured with the 

 rest, as in the European ^ Stock Dove.'' The same vinaceous 

 * Comptes Rendus, xliii. p. 837. 



