THICK-BILLED GREEN PIGEON 71 
and are especially greedy over plantains, often making their breast 
and head-feathers in a very dirty state in their anxiety to get as much 
as possible inside, in the shortest time on record. 
They drink fairly regularly, morning and evening in captivity, 
and probably also in a state of nature, for this is one of the Green 
Pigeons I have frequently seen on the ground by hill-streams, walking 
about quite freely on the sandy bank or in amongst the “ dhup ” grass 
which grows so freely in such places. I have also seen this Pigeon 
on the ground feeding on wild-strawberries and the berry of a plant 
which runs along the ground beside jungle-tracks. 
At night they seem to prefer roosting in high trees, but sometimes 
also frequent cane-brakes for the same purpose, and I once found them 
frequenting a dense bed of reeds in the Diyung River in north Cachar. 
Day was only just breaking and the birds were fluttering about the 
reeds as if they had been there all night, and I do not think they had 
merely just come down to drink. 
They do well in captivity, and are very handsome little Pigeons, 
the brilliant red of their bill and the vivid green of the orbital skin 
considerably enhancing the general beauty of their lovely plumage. 
If the birds get ill the green of the orbital skin becomes very dull and 
more of a livid than a verdigris green. 
In the plate of this Pigeon the artist has well shown the attitude 
adopted by the male bird when commencing to posture before the 
female during the courting-period. 
