464 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



of six or seven, are very shy and dilHcult of approach, and live 

 chiefly on berries. 



An African Pigeon, C. arquatrix, is very closely allied to this, 

 both in form and coloration. 



Gen. Palumbus, Kaup. 



Char. — Much as in the last genus, but the tarsus a triile longer ; 

 tail shorter ; sides of the neck adorned with a patch of light 

 coloured fe'athers. 



This is a very natural group of Pigeons, comprising the Cushat 

 of England and a nearly allied race from the Himalayas 

 and Chinese Tartary ; together with a group of three somewhat 

 smaller and darker colored species found respectively in the 

 Himalayas, Southern India, and Ceylon, which, by their lesser 

 size and tone of coloration, grade into'' the last group. 



784. Palumbus casiotis, Bonaparte. 



P. torquatus, var. Blyth, Cat, 1413. 



The Himalayan Cushat. 



Descr. — Above brownish grey; the head, cheeks, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts, pure ashy ; nape, sides of neck, and shoul- 

 ders glossed with changeable green and purple ; on each side of 

 the neck a large patch of fulvous or clayey cream color ; edge of 

 the wing, and a white longitudinal bar, formed by the outer edges 

 of the primaries, white ; winglet and primary-coverts blackish ; 

 tail grey at the base, blackish at the tip ; beneath, the throat is 

 pure ashy, the foreneck and breast vinaceous ruddy, paling on the 

 belly, and albescent towards the vent ; lower tail-coverts ashy ; 

 tail with a broad pale band. 



Bill orange at the tip, whitish at the base ; feet red. Length 

 17 inches; extent 30 ; wing 10^ ; tail 7 ; bill at front |. 



The Himalayan Cushat differs from the European bird by the 

 neck patch being clayey-bufF instead of white, and much contracted 

 in size ; also in the less extent of the white border to the primaries. 

 Mr. Blyth also notices that, whilst in European birds the green 

 gloss prevails above the neck-patch and amethystine below, tlie 

 reverse is the case in tlie Asiatic race. 



