PREFACE vii 



constituting good species or subspecies, the former if they are not 

 linked to one another by individuals which are intermediate, the latter 

 if they are so linked. At the same time I have not gone out of my 

 way to himt for minute differences in tint or in measurements, but 

 have merely admitted them when they are too plain to be over- 

 looked. 



In regard to nomenclature I have accepted the rules laid down 

 by the latest International Zoological Congress and take my names 

 according to strict priority and with effect from the date of the tenth 

 edition of Linnaeus. 



In following accepted rules it is impossible to avoid tautonomy : 

 I am therefore compelled to show the bird first described of the 

 various subspecies with its specific name duphcated. Thus it is 

 imperative to name the Bengal Green Pigeon Crocopus phvenicopterus 

 phoenicopterus, instead of C. p. typicus, and the geographical variations 

 or subspecies must be called C. p. viridifrons and C. p. chlorogaster. 



In classification generally I have adhered as closely as possible 

 to that of Blanford in the Fauna of British India series, though this 

 is, to some extent, altered by the use of the trinomial system and by 

 the fact that a few other forms have had to be added to his list. 



An attempt has been made in the following chapters to collate, 

 as far as possible, all information recorded up to date, and to add as 

 many sporting and field notes as have been obtainable, together with 

 a certain amount of original matter. Original matter, however, of 

 this nature is very hard to obtain before a book is written, but it is 

 to be hoped that once written and published readers will not be slow 

 to become writers also and to add their quota of knowledge to that 

 which has been previously recorded, whilst others may well be able 

 to show where the present volume is incomplete or incorrect. 



The total number of species and subspecies dealt with in this 

 work is fifty-one, Blanford having recognized forty-five of them as 

 good species. 



The books referred to in the list of synonyms do not include all 

 works of reference, for, as far as possible, only those have been 

 noted which refer to the birds as occurring in India, with the addition 

 from time to time of those which contain matter of importance to 

 readers in India, such as the book in which the bird itself, or any- 

 thing of importance concerning it, is first mentioned or described ; 



