WEDGE-TAILED GREEN PIGEON 85 



generally seek their meals early in the mornings and late in the afternoons. 

 To avoid the heat they retire during the middle of the day to some shady 

 trees, where, hidden amongst the fohage they sit motionless, and spend 

 the time dozing ; occasionally one wakes up and utters its soft plaintive 

 whistle, and it is by these alone that the birds betray their presence. 

 Their flight is rapid and strong." 



In the above note Jlr. Dodsworth mentions the fact of its being 

 found only in small family parties, pairs or single birds, but it must be 

 remembered that he writes only of their habits during the breeding-season, 

 and in the cold weather they wiU be found in flocks just as aU the other 

 Green Pigeons are. Even, however, diuring this season the flocks seldom 

 run to any great size, being more often under than over a dozen, whilst 

 single birds and pairs may frequently be met with consorting with 

 other species. 



On account of their beautiful notes, which are fuller, richer and more 

 sweet than those of any other Green Pigeon, these birds are specially 

 sought after as cage-birds. Beautiful, however, as they are, both as to 

 plumage and song, they are on the whole uninteresting pets. In a cage 

 they are slow, lethargic and, indeed, stupid birds, and the two bad 

 traits of greediness and quarrelsomeness which they share with the rest 

 of their tribe, do not add to their attractions. 



In the article just referred to, Mr. Dodsworth gives a long description 

 of a pair of these birds, which he reared by hand, which describes well 

 their habits and manners in captivity. He writes : " On the 1st July, 

 1910, one of my egg-hunters brought me a pair of these birds, about a 

 fortnight or three weeks old, from a nest which he had found in the 

 neighbourhood of Simla (North-west Himalayas), placed on one of the 

 outer branches of a large oak, at an elevation of about 6,300 ft. The 

 yoimg Koklas were immediately taken in hand by my wife, and rearing 

 operations commenced. On being handled at first they would slightly 

 raise the wing, nearest to their supposed enemy. They were kept in a 

 small wooden box, lined with some straw and grass, and were fed about 

 five or six times a day exclusively on small pieces of ripe plantains, which 

 had to be thrust down into their mouths. A Httle water used occa- 

 sionally to be poiured do-WTi their throats after the last meal in the evenings. 

 When they were almost fledged, they were transferred to a cage 

 containing two Doves (Turtur ferrago), which had also been taken from 

 a nest, and were being reared by the hand. 



