THICK-BILLED GREEN PIGEON 69 
All round the north-east frontier of India from the extreme west 
of Nepal through Bhutan, the Miri, Dafla, Abor Hills, Assam and 
north-west Burma, the Thick-billed Green Pigeon is very common, 
and always forms a prominent feature in any large miscellaneous bag 
of Pigeons. 
As a rule it does not collect in very large flocks, anything from 
ten or twelve to a score of birds being most often met with, but some- 
times it is found in much bigger numbers, and I have seen several 
flocks of over fifty and more than once one of over a hundred. 
Of course, upon the larger fruit-trees very great numbers of these 
and other Pigeons gather together for the feeding ; but though these 
may become very intermixed as they scramble about from one branch 
to another in their search for berries and fruit, when frightened away 
they at once separate up into their smaller companies. 
Quarrelsome as are all Pigeons and Doves, this small member of 
the family is even more so than most; at the same time it is given, 
like the rest of its relations, more to the uttering of bad language than 
to the giving of actual blows. These, however, are quite often enough 
indulged in, and result in feathers flying freely accompanied with loud 
clappings and beatings of the wings and guttural notes of anger. The 
row usually commences when two males, perhaps of different flocks, 
approach the same tempting cluster of figs or other dainty. The two 
birds will clamber slowly along the branch towards one another until 
they are a foot or two apart, when both will stop abruptly and bob 
energetically up and down uttering a few cuss “‘words”’ at the same time. 
Tf neither of the warriors are rendered nervous by the appearance of 
the other, they again approach one another with mouth wide open, 
and uttering a constant half hiss and half guttural note the bowings 
and bobbings increase in violence, and the birds dance about with 
wings semi-lifted. Then, suddenly, there is a clap of wings, and the 
two birds launch themselves at each other, attempting to strike with 
their wings, or to seize the feathers of their opponent’s head with 
their bills. If either can accomplish this he then proceeds to drag 
his victim along the branch until the feathers come out, when the 
fight is again renewed after an interval of more posturing, or the 
wounded bird finds he has had enough of it, and retires to another 
part of the tree. 
The guttural note of the Thick-billed Pigeon has been alluded 
