Major J. Biddulpli on the Birds of Gilyit. 91 



182. Galerita cristata (Linn.). 



This is one of the very few birds that remain in Gilgit all 

 the year round ; it is very common. 



183. Alsocomus hodgsoni (Vig.). 



Procured only in the forests at about 8000 feet elevation, 

 where it seems tolerably common. A male shot in July lacks 

 the white spotting on the flanks described by Jerdon. 



184. CoLUMBA cASioTis (Bouap.). 



A single specimen, a female, belonging to this species was 

 procured in the main valley on 24th April. Jerdon's de- 

 scription hardly represents correctly the amount of white on 

 the wing. The outermost secondary-coverts are pure white, 

 forming a conspicuous longitudinal patch extending for over 

 3^ inches down from the carpal joint The primaries are 

 margined with white, each except the second less conspi- 

 cuously than the one before it, gradually shading into ashy, 

 but not sufficiently broad to form a bar (as stated by Jerdon). 

 The neck-patch is clayey buff or ochraceous ; and the green 

 gloss prevails above the patch, and the amethystine below. 

 This style of coloration of the neck-patch also appears in 

 specimens from Kumaon ; and the distinction referred to by 

 Jerdon, as pointed out by Blyth, does not hold good. Weight 

 llf ounces, length 16*8 inches, wing 10*1, tail 6*8, tarsus 1-3, 

 bill at gape I'l, bill from front 085. Irides yellowish white. 

 A fcAV other specimens were seen at elevations of over 8000 

 feet during the summer, but not one during the winter, 



185. CoLUMBA INTERMEDIA, Strickl. 



In November the pigeons begin to collect in flocks, which 

 increase in size as the winter goes on. 



At first they are mostly composed of C. intermedia, with 

 a single specimen of C. rupestris in the flock. Gradually 

 C. rupestris gets commoner, and a few specimens of C. livia 

 appear. When the corn is sown the Pigeons collect in great 

 flocks of several hundreds, and settle on the newly sown 

 fields till it seems as if not a single grain would be left. 



Till the end of April they appear at intervals whenever 

 heavy weather in the mountains drives them in. In the 



