INDIAN BLUE ROCK-PIGEON 137 
When dealing with the European Rock-Pigeon I have already said that 
I cannot differentiate between Bonaparte’s schimperi, Hume’s neglecta, 
Hutton’s spelaea, and Graf Zedlitz’s palestinae ; and again, that I cannot discrim- 
inate between these forms and the paler form of our Indian Rock-Pigeon, inter- 
media. At the same time there is a distinct difference between pale, light- 
backed specimens from all the other regions mentioned and a typical dark grey 
specimen from Ceylon, Madras, or Behar. Unfortunately there is no difference 
which is constant or which is sufficiently constant for the trinomialist to be 
able to say here at this end of the range of the species is a dark race and here 
at the other end we always have a pale race with, as might be expected, an 
intermediate form in the intermediate area. We can say this of the two 
forms livia and intermedia, but we cannot lay down any such definite rules 
for our Indian birds. Thus amongst the pale Himalayan and desert-form, 
dark birds are quite common, and on the other hand, amongst the dark birds 
of southern and eastern India, we get such specimens as Cripp’s so-called 
livia from Furredpore and other birds which are almost as pale as this particular 
individual. 
Under the above circumstances I have preferred not to create any more 
races than the two well-defined forms, livia and intermedia. 
When, however, we come to consider the Chinese birds, and when we can 
get a big series from which to draw conclusions, it may be found desirable 
to divide this race from intermedia. There are, unfortunately, only three 
specimens in the British Museum Collection, but these all differ from typical 
intermedia in their relatively dark heads and pale backs, in the breasts being 
much darker and contrasting with the pale abdomens, and also in the metallic 
coloured plumage of the hind-neck being extended well into the interscapulary 
region, where it is sharply defined from the pale grey of the back. 
Nidification. The breeding-season of the Indian Rock-Pigeon might 
almost be said to commence on the Ist of January and to end on the 31st of 
December. In Behar, Inglis reports that he found them breeding in large 
numbers in an old temple at Laheria Seria and adds that he took eggs in 
every month of the year with the exception of February. In some districts 
in Eastern Bengal, where they breed principally in the roofs of masonry houses 
and also in the walls of deserted factories and other buildings, they certainly 
breed throughout the year though, perhaps, fewer have eggs during the 
height of the rains, say August and early September, than in the other 
months. ij 
According to Hume, in upper India the breeding-season lasts from 
Christmas to May Day, and Barnes considered the breeding-season in the 
Bombay Presidency to last from November to May. In the Doab, Colonel 
Marshall found them breeding in April, May and June, and in Ceylon Legge 
gives May and June as the two principal breeding-months. 
Practically wherever found, the Indian Blue Rock-Pigeon is resident 
and breeds, whether at the level of the plains or 10,000 ft. up in the hills, 
as found by Fulton, Ward, Whitehead, and others. 
The natural site for this bird’s nest is undoubtedly holes and caves in 
steep cliffs, or in the sides of rocky ravines, but as the bird itself has gradually 
spread across the Continent and has left places where such natural sites are 
obtainable, it has adapted itself without difficulty to the requirements of 
civilization, and now breeds regularly in masonry wells, old temples, ruined 
buildings of all kinds, and even in occupied brick and stone buildings. 
Marshall found them breeding in the kurezas, or underground water-channels, 
peculiar to the country round Quetta; and another curious place I found 
