SOUTHERN GREEN PIGEON 23 



says that they have at least two broods yearly, and perhaps more. Their 

 eggs cannot be distinguished from those of C. ph. phoenicopterus and C. ph. 

 viridifrons. 



In habits there is nothing to distinguish the Southern Green 

 Pigeon from the Bengal and Burmese birds. It is curious and should 

 be noted that this subspecies also, like the others, is credited with never 

 coming to the ground to drink. Reid writes in Stray Feathers, Vol. X, 

 that " natives believe this bird never descends to the ground, and that 

 when it desires to drink it settles on a reed which bends over with its 

 weight and thus enables it to drink." 



Mr. C. S. R. Pitman, I.e., writes that in the Central Provinces 

 he has noticed Green Pigeon (Crocopus chlorogaster) drinking both at 

 dawn, and in the evening about 4.30 or 5 p.m. 



Jerdon also says that he has seen this bird in Chanda, when it was 

 breeding, " come in large parties, generally about 9 a.m., to certain 

 spots on river banks to drink, and after taking a draught of water, 

 occasionally walk a few steps on the damp sand, appearing to pick 

 up small pebbles, pieces of gravel or sand." 



E. H. A. has a charming account of this bird in his Common Birds 

 of Bombay which cannot be passed over. He writes : " The Fruit 

 Pigeons are green birds, which try to be parrots, but nature has stamped 

 them doves ; they hve entirely on fruit, which they swallow whole, 

 not having parrot beaks to carve it with. A very wide gape and a 

 most capacious and elastic throat make amends to some extent for this 

 defect ; but still the Fruit Pigeon is obliged to do without mangoes and 

 guavas ... It finds compensation in the many varieties of mid figs 

 which every forest in India produces in such hberal profusion. When a 

 fig-tree fruits, it fruits all over, and all at once, offering a feast to the 

 whole country, such as a Rajah gives when an heir is born to the throne ; 

 and as mendicant Brahmins gather from distant provinces to the 

 Rajah's feasts, so the Fruit Pigeons from afar flock together to this 

 tree while it lasts ; fii'st about eight in the morning, and again about 

 four in the afternoon. Then is the time to shoot them, for they are 

 excellent eating, especially if their tough skins have been taken off 

 before cooking. It is difiicult at first to see them for they are verdant 

 like the fohage among which they sit strangely silent and motion- 

 less, but after much peering among the leafy boughs you may catch 

 sight of a tail slowly oscillating Hke a pendulum. There is a soUtary 



