MASON AND LEFROY. 217 



Falcons. The Peregrine .is the best known of this group, and 

 occurs as a winter visitor, especially on the sea coast. The ' Shahin' 

 is a resident in the more wooded tracts, and the ' Laggar ' prefers 

 more open and cultivated localities, while the ' Cherrug ' is essen- 

 tially a desert species. All these birda are well known to Falconry. 

 Their economic importance is a much-debated and an undecided 

 question. 



Other birds worthy of mention in this family are the Hobbies, 

 which are crepuscular in habits, and found chiefly in the Himalayas. 

 The Merlin occurs in the North-West in winter and the Red-headed 

 Merlin (Chiquera) occurs throughout India, as also the Kestrel. 

 These three birds are regarded as beneficial. 



For full accounts of Falconry cf. Journal, -Asiatic Society. 



COLUMBIA. 

 PIGEONS AND DOVES. 



Pigeons feed on fruit and grain, never touching insect-food, 

 though a few eat snails. Jerd. B. I. Ill, 442. Fruit pigeons eat 

 figs, palm nuts, grapes and so forth. E. B. C. N. H., 328. 



Treronince. Fruit pigeons. Live on fruit, banyan and pipal. 

 Imp. Gaz. I, 255. 



Crocopus. Purely fruit, especially banyan and Ficus. F. I., 

 IV, 4. Green pigeons fruit. Jerd. B. I. I, 292. 



1271. C. phcenicopterus. Bengal Green Pigeon. Banyan es- 

 pecially. F. I. IV, 6. Ficus fruit. A. S. B. LXIX, 135. 



Stomachs examined 



1907-09. 110 Approximated) Fieut fruit. 

 3-4-07. 1 Myllocerus discolor. 



Ficus Fruit. 



I have examined over a hundred birds of this species and in 

 only one case found an insect which was undoubtedly taken by 

 mistake. The food consists entirely of Ficus spp. (F. religiosus, 

 F. bengalensis, &c.). This bird descends to the ground only to drink. 



1272. C. chhrogaster. Southern Green Pigeon. After drink- 

 ing appears to pick up small pebbles, pieces of gravel or sand. Jerd. 



