(ii) OSMOTRERON VERNANS (Linn.). 

 THE PINK-NECKED GREEN PIGEON. 



Columba vernans Linn., Mant., p. 526 (1771) ; Lath., I. Om., II p. 599. 



Columba 'purpurea id. ib., p. 599. 



Treron vernans Blyth, J.A.S.B., XIV pt. n p. 851 ; Everett, J.S.B.A.S., 

 p. 196. 



Osmotreron vernans Bp., Con. Av., II p. 12 ; Hume, Str. Feath., Ill p. 323 ; 

 Wald, in Blyth's B. Burma, p. 144 ; Hume and Dav., Str. Feath., 

 VI pp. 411 and 414; Hume, Cat. no. 774, bLs ; id., Str. Feath., VIII 

 pp. 67 and 109; Gates, B. Burma, II p. 309; id., in Hume's Nests 

 and Eggs, 2nd ed., II p. 375 ; Salvadori, Cat. B.M., XXI p. 60 ; Blanf., 

 Avi. Brit. I., IV p. 13; Sharpe, Hand-list, I p. 54 ; Gates, Cat. Eggs 

 B.M., I p. 83 ; H. R. Baker, J.B.N.H.S., XVII p. 760. 



Osmotreron viridis Hume, Str. Feath., I p. 461 ; id. ib., Ill p. 162 ; Bljrth, 

 B. Burma, p. 144. 



Vernacular Name. Ngu, Burmese. 



Description. — Adult male. Head and throat grey, in some cases with 

 a tinge of green on the fore-head and throat ; neck all round as far as the 

 upper-breast below and extending on the sides and back as far as the shoulder 

 purple-lilac, somewhat mixed with grey where the purple adjoins the back ; 

 back, scapulars, lesser and median wing-coverts and innermost secondaries 

 green, the median wing-coverts broadly edged %vith pale lemon-yellow ; rump 

 green, changing to a bronze-tan on the upper tail-coverts ; tail grey with a 

 broad subterminal band of black, uddest on the outer rectrices, narrowest 

 on the central ones. Primaries and outer secondaries black, the first three 

 or four primaries with narrow pale yellow' margins. The greater coverts 

 are the same colour as the back, but have broad yellow margins to the outer 

 webs. Winglets and outer primary-coverts black. A broad circular patch 

 of orange covering the whole breast ; abdomen yellow-green, faintly splashed 

 with grey at the sides ; tibial plumes and feathers about vent darker green 

 with wide yellow borders. Lender wing-eoverts and axillaries grey, and the 

 flanks mingled grey and green. Under tail-coverts deep chestnut, sometimes 

 with a blackish patch near the ends of the longest. Under aspect of the tail 

 black with a narrow grey tip. 



Colours of soft parts. " Iris pink ; feet light lake ; bill plumbeous, nail 

 whitish, cere and edge of gape green ; weight about 6 oz." (Davison). 



" Irides with three rings, the outer buff or pink, the next prussian blue, 

 the inner ultramarine " (Davison). 



Measurements. " Length about 11 ; tail 4.0 ; wing 5.8 ; tarsus .8 ; 

 bill from gape .8 " (Blanford). 



The large series of this Pigeon in the British Museum shows a very wide 

 range of measurements, the largest wing being no less than 6.10 in. 

 ( = 154.9 mm.) and the smallest only 5.30 ( = 134.6 mm.), whilst the average 

 is a little over 5.55 ( = 141.0 mm.). 



