ASHY-HEADED GREEN PIGEON 29 



northern Burma it is equally numerous, and thence it ranges east into 

 Cochin China and south as far as Tenasserim, but not into the Malay States. 



Nidification. The breeding-season of the Ashy-headed Green Pigeon 

 commences in the last few days of March or early April and extends through 

 April, May, and June into July and August, but April and early May is the 

 time when most birds lay. In the hills south of the Brahmapootra few 

 birds \rill be found breeding after Jlay, but in the foot-hills of the Himalayas 

 a good many continue to nest until well into July, whilst in Tavoy, on the 

 other hand, Darling took its eggs as early as the 19th of March. 



The nest is the usual platform of carelessly interlaced twigs, with no 

 lining and but very little depression in the centre, though the projection of 

 the twigs prevents the eggs rolling about. Roughly speaking, the nest is 

 anything from 5 to 8 in. across, but they are often far from circular in shape, 

 being much longer one way than the other. In depth they vary between 

 1 and 3 in., though odd pieces hang about and add to this. They build their 

 nests either in small saplings or in bamboo-clumps as a rule, but now and then 

 one may be taken from quite high up in a biggish tree. Both birds take 

 part in the building, but I think the female does most of the actual work 

 of construction, whilst the male brings the material to her. A pair I watched 

 building their nest in a clump of bamboos quite close to a rest-house I was 

 staying in, were accustomed to work only for about two hours in the morning 

 and again for about the same time in the evening. In spite, however, of 

 the few hours they devoted to work, the nest was completed in three days, 

 and the first egg laid on the fourth day. The nests are not generally well 

 concealed, and as they are more often placed at heights under, than over 

 8 ft., they are easy to find and get at. Occasionally they are placed in cane- 

 brakes in swampy valleys and then, of course, are far more difficult of access 

 though still easy enough to find, the bird sitting so close that one carmot 

 help but notice her nest as she quits it. The site of it, too, is often given 

 away by the whistling and antics of the cock -bird, which is much given to 

 perambulating up and down a branch close to the nest whilst he croons and 

 whistles to his little mate. 



This crooning, a sort of low " coo, coo," very like a dove's but lower 

 and deeper, I have never heard uttered except by the mate to his sitting 

 wife. It is quite a sweet sound, though not so beautiful as the whistling-note . 



The eggs are with this, as with nearly all others of the family, two in 

 number, pure white, rather glossy and with a very fine, close texture. In 

 shape they are either broad ellipses or are broad, blunt ovals, but now and 

 then eggs are found with both ends curiously pointed. 



The average of 180 eggs is 1.08 in. by .83 ( = 27.4 mm. by 21.0), and 

 the greatest length and breadth 1.14 in. ( = 28.8 mm.) and .86 ( =21.8 mm.), 

 and the least each way 1.02 in. ( = 25.9 mm.) and .80 ( = 20.3 mm.) 

 respectively. 



They cannot be distinguished from the eggs of Treron nepalensis or other 

 Pigeons of the genus Osmotreron, though they average a triiie smaller than 

 those of 0. hisincta domvillii. 



I have never yet ascertained exactly how long incubation lasts, but it 

 will probably be found to be from twelve to fourteen days, according to 

 circumstances. 



This Pigeon is not a bird of high elevations and though I have shot 

 it as high as 4,000 ft. both in the Khasia and north Cachar Hills, it is 



