136 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the 



a. <$; b, c. ? ad. Pulo Tega, April 28, 1886. 

 d. 8 ad. Pulo Eno, Dec. 29, 1885. 



[This beautiful Pigeon is seldom met with on large islands, 

 but loves to frequent the small islands round the coast, in 

 which it at times fairly swarms. It affects the tops of the 

 high fruit-bearing forest-trees, when on looking up some- 

 times you may see a tree fairly alive with them, and the 

 birds themselves squabbling, feeding, and driving one another 

 about from branch to branch. I have often seen them at 

 sea, making flights from island to island, no doubt in quest 

 of fresh fruit-trees. 



Though the plumage of this species is as plain as " black and 

 white " can be, yet when perched high on some dead bough 

 or amongst the leaves in the full glare of the sun it is a most 

 difficult bird to see. One might think it was a bird that 

 would be seen anywhere, but in the full glare of the sun 

 these plain colours, when looked at from below, are a real 

 protection. 



Iris black ; skin round eye, nostrils, and feet dull slaty 

 blue ; rest of bill black.] 



277. Chalcophaps indica. 



Chalcophaps indica (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 299; Briiggem. 

 t. c. p. 536; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 346. 

 a,h. c?; c, d. $ ad. Labuan, July 1886. 



[Common in the S.E. monsoon, when this little Pigeon is 

 caught by hundreds by the natives, who build a small covered 

 place on the ground, round which they place some grain, 

 and then attract the Pigeons with a peculiar bamboo calling- 

 instrument, with a booming note like that of the birds (cf. 

 Burbidge, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 347). The Pigeons then settle, 

 and are noosed in numbers by the native only a few feet off. 

 This bird has a tender skin, and is difficult to preserve 

 neatly. The flesh is very sweet and much sought after by 

 all in the East. "Where these Pigeons come from, or where 

 they go to, I am unable to say ; but I never met with a 

 native who had seen their nest. 



Native name "Punei tanah/' or " Earth Pigeon."] 



