ASHY-HEADED GREEN PIGEON 29 
northern Burma it is equally numerous, and thence it ranges east into 
Cochin China and south as far as Tenasserim, but not into the Malay States. 
Nidification. The breeding-season of the Ashy-headed Green Pigeon 
commences in the last few days of March or early April and extends through 
April, May, and June into July and August, but April and early May is the 
time when most birds lay. In the hills south of the Brahmapootra few 
birds will be found breeding after May, but in the foot-hills of the Himalayas 
a good many continue to nest until well into July, whilst in Tavoy, on the 
other hand, Darling took its eggs as early as the 19th of March. 
The nest is the usual platform of carelessly interlaced twigs, with no 
lining and but very little depression in the centre, though the projection of 
the twigs prevents the eggs rolling about. Roughly speaking, the nest is 
anything from 5 to 8 in. across, but they are often far from circular in shape, 
being much longer one way than the other. In depth they vary between 
1 and 3 in., though odd pieces hang about and add to this. They build their 
nests either in small saplings or in bamboo-clumps as a rule, but now and then 
one may be taken from quite high up in a biggish tree. Both birds take 
part in the building, but I think the female does most of the actual work 
of construction, whilst the male brings the material to her. A pair I watched 
building their nest in a clump of bamboos quite close to a rest-house I was 
staying in, were accustomed to work only for about two hours in the morning 
and again for about the same time in the evening. In spite, however, of 
the few hours they devoted to work, the nest was completed in three days, 
and the first egg laid on the fourth day. The nests are not generally well 
concealed, and as they are more often placed at heights under, than over 
8 ft., they are easy to find and get at. Occasionally they are placed in cane- 
brakes in swampy valleys and then, of course, are far more difficult of access 
though still easy enough to find, the bird sitting so close that one cannot 
help but notice her nest as she quits it. The site of it, too, is often given 
away by the whistling and antics of the cock-bird, which is much given to 
perambulating up and down a branch close to the nest whilst he croons and 
whistles to his little mate. 
This crooning, a sort of low “coo, coo,” very like a dove’s but lower 
and deeper, I have never heard uttered except by the mate to his sitting 
wife. It is quite a sweet sound, though not so beautiful as the whistling-note . 
The eggs are with this, as with nearly all others of the family, two in 
number, pure white, rather glossy and with a very fine, close texture. In 
shape they are either broad ellipses or are broad, blunt ovals, but now and 
then eggs are found with both ends curiously pointed. 
The average of 180 eggs is 1.08 in. by .83 ( = 27.4 mm. by 21.0), and 
the greatest length and breadth 1.14 in. (= 28.8 mm.) and .86 ( = 21.8 mm.), 
and the least each way 1.02 in. (= 25.9 mm.) and .80 ( =20.3 mm.) 
respectively. 
They cannot be distinguished from the eggs of T'reron nepalensis or other 
Pigeons of the genus Osmotreron, though they average a trifle smaller than 
those of O. bisincta domvillii. 
I have never yet ascertained exactly how long incubation lasts, but it 
will probably be found to be from twelve to fourteen days, according to 
circumstances. 
This Pigeon is not a bird of high elevations and though I have shot 
it as high as 4,000 ft. both in the Khasia and north Cachar Hills, it is 
