Genus— SPHENOCERCUS. 



The genus Sphenocerctts is very closely allied to Osmotreron in its 

 general outward characteristics, but it differs from that genus, and 

 from all other genera of the subfamily Treroninae, in having no sinuation 

 on the inner web of the third primary, and in having the tail-feathers 

 somewhat lengthened and graduated. In regard to its bill it is nearest 

 to Osmotreron, the soft basal part or cere covering even a greater 

 portion of the bill than it does in that bird, occupying about two-thirds 

 of its total length. 



The under tail-coverts in our two Indian species are very long, 

 exceeding in length the outermost rectrices. 



Both our species are, for Green Pigeon, rather big birds, with a 

 wing exceeding 7 in. 



Salvadori recognizes eight species of Green Pigeon in this genus, 

 but of these at least three, and probably four — sieboldi, sororius, formosae, 

 and permagnus — must be relegated to the rank of subspecies of our 

 Indian sphenurus, or if the first-named can be considered a good species, 

 then the three latter will be subspecies of sieboldi. 



Key to the Species. 



A . Central tail-feathers acuminate and extending two or three 



inches beyond the next pair ... ... ... ... S. apicauda. 



B. Central tail-feathers not acuminate, and only a little longer 



than the next pair ... ... ... ... ... ... S. sphenura. 



(14) SPHENOCERCUS API CAUDA (Hodg.). 



THE PEN-TAILED GREEN PIGEON. 

 (Plate 6.) 



Treron apicauda (Hodg.), Blyth, J.A.S.B., XIV p. 854 (1845). 



SpheTWcercus apicatidus id.. Cat. B.M.A.S.B., p. 230 ; Jerdon, B.I., III 

 p. 454 ; Godw.-Aus., J.A.S.B., XXIX pt. 2 p. 3 ; Wald., in Blyth's 

 B. Burma, p. 144 ; Hume and Davison, Str. Feath., VT p. 415 ; Hume, 

 Cat. no. 779 ; id., Str. Feath., VIII p. 109 ; id. ib., XI p. 292 ; Stuart 

 Baker, Ibis 1896, p. 356 ; Harington, B. Burma, p. 64 ; Stuart Baker, 

 J.B.N.H.S., X p. 364 ; Inglis, ib., XI p. 475 ; Stuart Baker, ib., XVII 

 p. 971 ; Harington, ib., XIX p. 308 ; id. ib., XX p. 1010; Cook, ib., XXI. 

 p. 674. 



