354 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Rough Key to Ceylon Species. 
A.—Mantle green with a metallic gloss. 
Carpophaga znea (Green Imperial Pigeon). 
B.—Mantle olive-brown with little or no gloss. 
Ducula cuprea (Jerdon’s Imperial Pigeon). 
CARPOPHAGA NEA (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 19; 
Legge p. 718.) 
The Green Imperial Pigeon. 
Description.—The head, neck, and the lower parts to the 
vent pale dove-gray, sometimes tinged wholly or in part with 
vinous. The short feathers adjoining the bill are generally 
white. Back, rump, upper tail coverts, and wings bronze- 
green with a metallic lustre ; tail deep slaty-green above with 
less lustre than the back, underneath yellowish-gray. Wing 
quills blackish, tinged on the outer webs with gray, and 
changing gradually on the secondaries into the same colour 
as the back feathers. Lower tail coverts liver-coloured. 
Bill grayish-green, bluish at the tip, and dull red by the 
nostrils ; iris deep red : legs and feet dull lake-red. 
Length 16; wing 8°25; tail 5°5; tarsus 1; bill from gape 
1°3. Ceylon birds are considerably smaller than those from 
Northern India. 
Distribution —Fairly common throughout the low-country 
wherever there is high forest. In India it occurs in heavy 
forest on the Malabar Coast, and in similar country up the 
east coast through Bengal and Assam to Burma and the 
south-eastern portion of the Oriental region. 
Habits —A forest-loving species, commonest in the wilder 
districts. In the jungles of the northern and south-eastern 
parts of the Island, where the rainfall is not very heavy, it 
may be found in the strips of tall timber which fringe the 
streams and tanks. 
The birds are generally very shy, but like the Green Pigeons 
they are greedy fruit eaters, and when the berries are ripe on a 
favourite tree they will flock to it in the morning and early 
