GREEN IMPERIAL PIGEON 93 
and north-east of its range, this Pigeon averages a good deal smaller than those 
in the more central portions, but that the size is so variable in individuals 
throughout both, that no geographical race can be established. 
Hume has dealt with the alleged differences between the geographical 
races in Vol. II. of Stray Feathers, and there he thus sums up the differences 
between the Andamanese birds and others: “Taking a very large series, the 
fully adult birds have the frontal band and chin purer white, and the lower 
tail coverts a deeper maroon chestnut than in any Continental birds I have 
yetseen. Asa race it is of the largest size, greener, with deeper coloured under 
tail coverts and whiter forehead and throat than any Continental race taken 
as a whole.” 
As a matter of fact, an examination of the huge series in the British 
Museum will show that of these characteristics the green or bronze of the upper- 
parts is purely an individual matter, and that all the other points are shown 
even more strongly in many birds from the north-east frontier of India than 
they are in the Andamanese birds. Thus it is as impossible to separate the 
Andamanese form as it is to separate that of Ceylon. 
Of the Hainan birds there is but a small series available for comparison, 
but there is no doubt that these are very deeply coloured as a whole, and are, 
as I have already shown, very small. Until, however, a much larger series 
have been examined I shall not attempt to differentiate them. 
Distribution. Salvadori gives the habitat of this Imperial Pigeon as 
being “India, Ceylon, Andamans, Indo-Burmese Countries, Cochin-China, 
Hainan, Sunda Islands with Lombok and Flores, The Philippines and Zula 
Islands.” Within Indian limits its distribution is rather curious, but may 
be said generally to follow the line of combined ample rainfall and heavy 
forest. It is common in Ceylon and thence up the north-west of India, 
through Travancore and Malabar as far north in the Bombay Presidency as the 
north of Kanara, where Davidson reports it as common in the Karwar district. 
Jerdon remarks that he found it breeding in the forests of Central India, but 
since his time no one else seems to have found it there. On the east it extends 
up the coast and through the forested parts of Madras, Orissa, Bengal, and 
Assam into the Indo-Burmese countries and back west along the Bhutan 
and Sikhim Dooars and the Nepal Terai, whence I have received specimens. 
It is found throughout the Chin Hills, Shan States and Burma generally 
wherever the rainfall is sufficient and evergreen-forest grows, but appears 
to be very rare in the north-central dry zone, though it is recorded as occurring 
there by Harington. It is common in the Andamans, but is replaced in the 
Nicobars by the next subspecies. 
Nidification. Throughout the north-eastern portion of its range, 
April and May are the two principal months of the breeding-season, and 
according to Legge and Jerdon the same would appear to be the case in the 
south of India and Ceylon, but Davidson took an egg from a nest as early as 
February in Kanara, though he also shot a female with an egg ready for 
expulsion on the 30th April. Wimberley and Osmaston record their breeding 
in the Andamans in April and May, though the former also took eggs near 
Mt. Harriet in July, whilst in Burma, Harington, Hopwood, Bingham, and 
others record their breeding-season as from February to May. Inglis states 
that they breed in Cachar principally during the rains, but I have taken 
very many eggs in that district, where April is certainly the month in which 
most are laid, and I have seen very few laid after June; at the same time 
it must be remembered Inglis took his eggs in the plains whilst I took mine 
in the hills. 
