508 COLUMBIDiE. 



499 ; Darid et. Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 384 ; Hume and Dav., Str. F. vii. p. 449 ; 

 Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 109; Scully, S/r. F. viii. p. 339; Legge, J3. Ceylon 

 p. 698 ; Blf., East Pers. p. 268 ; Murray, Vert. Zool. Stnd, p. 202. Columba 

 livia, apud.Bl. B. J3urm.,p. 145. The INDIAN BLUE ROCK PIGEON. 



Head, nape, chin, abdomen, vent and upper and under tail coverts dark 

 slaty grey ; back, scapulars, secondaries, tertials, inner webs of primaries and 

 rump pale ashy, paler on the rump ; the outer webs of the primaries dusky 

 grey, as are also their tips ; secondaries broadly tipped dusky, the innermost 

 tertials and greater wing coverts with a subterminal black patch on the outer 

 web only, forming two black wing bands ; neck all round and breast glossy, 

 changeable green and amethystine., in varying lights ; throat also slightly 

 tinged with glossy green; under wing coverts white; tail like the upper tail 

 coverts, or a little paler for two-thirds its length, then broadly black, with a 

 very narrow terminal ashy tip ; the basal two-thirds or more of the outer web 

 of the outermost feather white. Bill black ; cere whitish ; irides dull orange ; 

 legs pinkish red. 



Length. 12 to 13 inches; wing 8| to 9; tail 5 ; bill at front 075. 



Hab. Throughout India to Ceylon, the Himalayas, Assam, Burmah, 

 Persia, Beloochistan and Afghanistan in great abundance, congregating in 

 large flocks. Breeds throughout India. Eggs 2 in number, white and glossy 

 I '2 X 1-25. Nesting in mosques, tombs, buildings, walls, and in holes in 

 rocks, and caverns. 



1161. Columba livia, Bp., Ic. t. 62 ; Bodd., Pig. PL En. 5 10 ; Naum. 

 vogt. t. 150 ; Tern. Pig. t. 12 ; Gould, B. Eur. pi. 245 ; Gray, Handlist Birds, 

 No. 9231 ; Blf., East. Pers. p. 268 ; Hume, Str. F.\. 218 ; vii. 296 ; Mur- 

 ray, Hdbk. Zool., fyc. t Sind, p. 193. The ROCK DOVE. 



Columba livia. 



Differs from C. intermedia in having a pure white instead of an ash 

 coloured rump. 



