SNOW-PIGEON 153 



Young. The feathers of the upper-parts and wings have narrow margins 

 of pale buff, and the under -parts are a pale dull buff rather tlian white. 



Distribution. Throughout the higher Himalayas from about the 

 70° long. (Chitral) through Kashmir, Ladak, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and the 

 highest ranges of the Dafla and Mishmi Hills. It undoubtedly spreads even 

 further west, however, than this, into the higher ranges of Afghanistan, and 

 it has been recorded as breeding in the Altai ranges in Persia. 



Nidification. The Snow-Pigeon breeds in colonies at high altitudes 

 in the Himalayas, above 10,000 ft. — everywhere, practically, where there are 

 suitable rocky cliffs with crevices or caves in whicli they can place their 

 nests. Ward found it breeding in many places in Kashmir, and Magrath 

 found it breeding in company with a small colony of Kashmir House-Martms. 



Tlie nests are, of course, always placed in holes, clefts, or crevices in 

 rocky cliffs and precipices, or in caves such as that mentioned by Colonel 

 Magrath. Often they are quite inaccessible, and in Tibet I have had several 

 colonies reported as being ^ell-known, though the nests were said to be quite 

 unobtainable except \^itli ropes and an amount of trouble out of proportion 

 to the object to be attained. Also they are frequently placed so far inside 

 the crevices and holes that even when the men have been let down to a 

 position from whicli they can see into the holes, they cannot get at either 

 nests or eggs. The nests themselves are tlie usual platforms of sticks, but 

 as they rest upon the ledge of rock or limestone they are even less compactly 

 put together and intertwined tlian are tlie materials of most Pigeons' nests. 

 They are said to get into a very filthy state and to be full of vermin, in 

 spite of the cold, before the young leave the nest. 



The number of eggs is invariably two, and they are generally laid 

 late in May, throughout June, and well into July : in the earlier part of the 

 season when the birds breed at a comparatively low elevation, in the later 

 portion \\-here they breed at 14,000 ft. up'nards. 



I have a fair series of these birds's egg from Sonamerg, in Kashmir, \^'hich 

 were given to me by Colonel R. H. Rattray, Colonel A. E. Ward, and 

 Mr. J. Davidson. C.S., and a few others taken in the Chambi Valley and near 

 Gyantse in Tibet. 



They cannot be in any way distinguished from those of Columba livia 

 and intermedia ; in shape they are broad elhpses, or broad ovals, practically 

 the same at either end, and the surface is close and smooth, but not very 

 glossy. 



My biggest egg measures 1.62 in. by 1.22 in. ( = 41.1 by 31 mm.), and 

 the smallest 1.4 in. by 1.02 in. ( = 34.5 by 25.9 mm.). The average of 24 

 eggs is 1.55 in. by 1.15 in. ( = 39.3 by 29.2 mm.). 



The Snow-Pigeon is essentially a bird of the more lofty mountains, 

 breeding, as already noted, at elevations from 10,000 ft. up to 15,000 ft. 

 In the winter months it descends to lower hills, but even then it is 

 apparently never seen below 5,000 ft., at which height Perreau foimd 

 it in the Chitral Hills in winter. In Kaslimir, however, Ward says 

 that it only comes down to about 7,000 ft., and that only in severe 

 winters, retiring again to greater heights directly the weather breaks. 

 In the Abor and Mishmi Hills, the natives, who brought me a couple 



