194 INDIAN PIGEONS AND DOVES 
manner. The only point against them is that at first a good many 
birds will seek refuge in the nearest tree, and then think they are 
safe, but the sportsman can well afford to leave these alone and pursue 
the others. 
For the table they are delicious, and excel any of the Pigeons in 
delicacy of flavour, whilst they equal them in plumpness and general 
condition. 
It is not a bird of heavy forest and jungle, keeping much to thin 
scrub and patches of light jungle round about villages and cultivation, 
and feeding almost entirely in the open. It is more of a bird of the 
plains than of the hills, but ascends the latter certainly up to 4,000 ft. 
and commonly up to about 2,000 ft—in Burma possibly a good deal 
higher. It is principally a grain and seed eater, but will also devour 
most fruit obtainable when hungry. They are very active on their 
feet and get their food for the most part from the ground, spending 
the greater portion of their time upon it when not sleeping during the 
heat of the day or roosting during the night. Their note is a thrice- 
repeated, very deep “coo,” of the same nature, yet quite distinct from, 
that of most Doves, and easily recognizable. 
It is a favourite cage-bird, very easily tamed and very easy to 
feed and keep, for no matter how small the cage, this fleet-winged and 
wide-ranging bird does not appear to suffer from confinement. In 
captivity it becomes very lethargic and silent, except during its 
selected breeding-months, when it wakes up, displays, ‘‘ coos,’ and makes 
love to its companions should it be lucky enough to have any. Blewitt 
writes of a pair kept by him: “‘ The pair I have are very tame, and the 
coo of the male (I have not heard the female) is far oftener heard of 
a morning and evening than during the day. When irritated they 
utter a peculiarly loud hissing kind of note.” 
It must, however, be remembered that they are quarrelsome birds» 
and though doubtless they would be much more interesting pets in a 
fair-sized aviary than they are in the tiny native cages, they cannot 
be kept in company with other birds. 
Nearly all Doves are thirsty birds, and whilst the majority drink 
every morning early and every evening before retiring to rest, all, I 
think, do so regularly and deeply before they take their mid-day siesta, 
and many again before commencing to feed. 
As a rule they take a few long sips, run about on the bare sand 
