360 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
ALSOCOMUS TORRINGTONI® (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 36). 
PALUMBUS. TORRINGTONIZE (Legge, p. 694), 
The Ceylon Wood Pigeon. 
Description—Male : head and nape lilac-gray, with a lilac 
and green gloss ; a patch on the back and sides of the neck 
black, with broad white tips to the feathers ; the sides of the 
neck and the upper back are glossed with reddish-lilac ; rest 
of the upper parts, including wings and tail, blackish-brown ; 
rump blackish-gray ; chin and middle of throat whitish ; 
lower neck and breast lilac, glossed as on the upper back, but 
not so intensely ; lower breast and abdomen paler ; under tail 
coverts ashy-brown with a reddish tinge. 
Females are similar, but the head, chest, and under surface 
are more ruddy, and there is a deeper coppery hue on the 
lower hind-neck. 
Bill lead-coloured at the base, bluish at the tip ; iris pale 
red ; legs red in front, paler behind. 
Length about 14 ; wing 7°6 ; tail 5°25 ; tarsus :9 ; bill from 
gape l. 
Distribution—Peculiar to Ceylon; found only in the hill 
forests, mostly above 4,000 feet, but occasionally aslowas 2,500. 
Habits —A shy forest bird feeding entirely on fruit, especially 
wild cinnamon. 
Like many fruit-eating pigeons, it roams about a good deal 
in search of its food, moving from locality to locality as the 
various jungle fruit trees ripen. The flight is powerful. 
The call is a deep “ hoo,” rather like the hoot of an owl. 
Little is known of its nidification. It would appear to breed 
during the north-east monsoon, making a slight stick nest 
placed in forest trees at a height of about 20 feet. Probably 
only one egg is laid, of a pure glossy white, and measuring 
about 1°50 by 1°12. 
ALsocomus PUNICEUS (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 38 ; 
Legge, p. 696). 
The Purple Wood Pigeon. 
Description.—The top of the head from the forehead to the 
nape and a line under the eye grayish-white ; neck, cheeks, 
and throat pale chestnut-brown ; back, scapulars, wing coverts, 
