92 INDIAN PIGEONS AND DOVES 



is a faint bronze gloss over the green, more or less mixed with patches of deep 

 blue or purple ; but in some birds the whole of these parts are a brilliant, 

 almost fiery copper-bronze and between these two extremes every possible 

 tint and combination of tints may be found. 



The tail is the same colour as the back, but less metallic and often a much 

 deeper blue than elsewhere. Under tail-coverts a rather dark, rich liver- 

 colour, or bro\niish-maroon ; under surface of the tail a dull pale bro^-n. 

 Primaries dark blue-grey changing to pale brown on the inside of the inner 

 webs, and becoming more and more green on each succeeding feather until 

 the innermost secondaries are exactly like the back ; imder aspect of the wings 

 dove-grey, varymg a good deal in tint and brownish on the quills. 



Colours of soft parts. Irides deep red, maroon-red, or almost lake-red ; 

 legs and feet dull purple-red, lake-red or deep coral-red, very rarely the latter ; 

 claws homy-brown tinged lake ; bill white at the extreme tip, bluish or 

 greyish-white, grey or blue-grey in the centre and dull lake-red or purplish-red 

 on the basal half and cere. Edges of the eyelid purple-red. 



Measurements. Length from 15 to 18 in. ( = 381 to 457 mm.) ; wing 7.90 

 to 9.75 in. ( = 200.6 to 247.6 mm.) ; bill at front about 1.0 in. ( = 25.4 mm.) 

 and from gape 1.4 ( = 35.5 mm.) ; tarsus 1.0 ( = 25.4) to about 1.2 in. 

 ( = 30.5 mm.) ; tail from 5.5 to 6.5 in. ( = 139.7 to 165.1 mm.). 



Adult female. Does not differ from the male, and averages much the 

 same in size. The colours of the soft parts are the same in both sexes. 



NestUiig. " Similar to the adult and just as brightly glossed on the back, 

 wings and tail, but was, of course, very much smaller, wanting the vinacious 

 tinge below, and still having quantities of pale rufous threadlike dowTi attached 

 to the tips of the feathers " (Hume). 



The extent of the vinacious tinge, as I have shown, is individual, and 

 allowing for this, the nestling is exactly like the adult. The irides are dull 

 brown and legs and feet paler and duller than in the adult. 



Nestling, in down. Covered with a dark rufous down above and pale 

 dull rufous-brown below. 



It is with some hesitation that I have decided not to divide the small 

 Ceylon and southern Indian form, which has been described as jnisilla, from 

 the larger northern and eastern form. I find, however, that it is quite im- 

 possible to draw any definite geographical line between the two forms. It is 

 true that Ceylon birds average very small, with a wing of little if anything 

 over 8 in. ( = 203 mm.) and with a maximum of 8.5 ( = 216 mm.) ; southern 

 Indian birds are but little bigger, -w-hilst those from Orissa and Bengal average 

 over 8.6 in. ( = 218.2 mm.) and those from upper Assam, the Dooars, and the 

 Indo-Chinese countries well over 9 in. ( = 228.6 mm.). At the same time, in 

 all these different geographical ranges small birds are common and even from 

 Assam and northern Burma birds with wings of under 8 in. ( = 203 mm.) 

 are constant!}' met with, whilst in Hainan we again find a bird which has on 

 the average a wing no longer than that of the Ceylon bird. 



Again, there is no difference in the coloration of thLs species which coincides 

 with the variation in size, and, given a sufficient series from each place, one 

 fijids exactly the same gradations of colouring existing in the tints of the 

 head, neck, and breast, and exactly the same extent of variation in the bronze 

 or green glossing of the upper-plumage. The under tail-coverts do not vary, 

 except very slightly, in individuals, and the depth of the blue on the rump, 

 lower-back, and upper surface of the tail does not show any constant geo- 

 graphical variation. Thus, all that can be said is that in the extreme south 



