372 COLUMBIB^. 



rule broad, nearly perfect, ovals, but occasionally in this and other 

 species of Green Pigeons a good deal pointed at one end. 



In leugth they vary from 1*16 to 1'35, and in breadth from O'O 

 to 1"0 ; but the average of eighteen eggs is 1-23 by 0-95. 



CrOCOpus chlorigaster (Blyth). The Southern Green Pigeon. 



Crocopus clilorigaster {Bl.), Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 448; Hume, Bough 

 Draft N. 8f E. no. 773. 



The Southern Grreen Pigeon breeds, I believe, throughout India, 

 except in Lower Bengal, Siudh, and the western portions of 

 Bajpootaua and the Punjab. Throughout Continental India (I 

 have no notes of the breeding-season in the Peninsula) it lays from 

 March to June, making a typical Dove-nest on trees and laying 

 the inevitable two white eggs. ]t has certainly two broods, perhaps 

 more. 



I have taken its nest in Etawah, Bareilly, Oonao (Oudh), 

 Puttehgurh, and Meerut, and have had its eggs sent me from 

 Hansie, Sealkote, and Mundlah (Central Provinces). 



I have failed to notice anything worthy of record about its nidi- 

 fication. I have a score of notes like the following, one of which 

 M'ill suffice as a sample : — 



^'■Etawah, March 23rd, 18G7. — Two eggs. The nest was a loose 

 structure of twigs, much like a common Pigeon's or a Dove's, at 

 the fork, formed by six branches, of a mango-tree. The bird sat so 

 close that it would not move for stones, &c., and only flew when a 

 man climbing got close to the nest, and vet the eggs were nearly 

 fresh." 



Mr. AV. Blewitt found a number of this bird's nests in the 

 months of April and May in the neighbourhood of Hansie. As 

 he secured and forwarded to me the parent birds, there can be no 

 doubt as to the species. He says : — " The nests were placed on 

 toon, neem, shishum, and keeker-trees, mostly growing on the 

 canal-bank, at heights of from fourteen to eighteen feet from the 

 ground. 



" They were composed of shishum, Zizijphus, and keeker-twigs, 

 in some cases slenderly, and in others somewhat densely, put 

 together, 



" One or two were absolutely without lining, but they were 

 mostly very scantily lined with leaves, feathers, or fine straw. 

 They varied from 5 to 7 inches in diameter, and from 1^ to 

 3 inches in depth. They contained two eggs in every case, and 

 some taken at the end of May were quite fresh." I have never 

 found any lining that I can remember. 



Colonel (t. p. L. Marshall writes : — " I have taken the eggs of 

 both these Green Pigeons in the Bolundshuhar District on the 8th 

 and 16th May; both nests were in shishum-trees. I have also 

 taken eggs of the ])roscnt species on the ll3th June. The nest is a 

 few sticks placed about ten or twelve feet from the ground. The 



