ALSOCOMUS. 509 



ffab.S.-E. Europe, Sind, Beloochistan, S. Persia, S, Afghanistan, 

 Arrakan, and some parts of Burmah. Breeds in December, laying, like inter- 

 media, two white eggs. 



1162. Columba rupestris, Pall., Zoogr. Rosso. As. pi. 25 ; Jerd., 

 B. Ind. iii. p. 470, No. 789. Columba livia, apud Adams, B. Ind., No. 208. 

 The BLUE HILL PIGEON. 



Like Columla intermedia, but much paler in colour, the head and sides of 

 the face being ashy grey instead of dark slaty grey ; wing coverts and upper 

 back light grey ; middle of back white ; upper tail coverts dark ashy grey ; 

 quills grey, black shafted and darker at the tips and on the outer webs ; a 

 patch of greyish black on the wing, forming two bands ; tail dark grey at the 

 base, broadly tipped with black and a subterminal broad white stripe ; outer 

 rectrices white, tipped with black ; chin ashy grey ; neck glossed with purple ; 

 upper breast glossed with green ; bill black ; cere grey ; irides red. 



Length. 127 inches; tail 5 ; wing 8. 



Hab. Kumaon and Mussoorie. 



1163. Columba leuconota, Vigors, P. z. S. 1831, p. 331; Gould, 



Cent. Him. B. pi. 59; Jerd.^ B. Ind. iii. p. 471, No. 790; Hume, Str. F. 

 iii. p. 256. The WHITE-BELLIED or IMPERIAL ROCK PIGEON. 



Crown of the head and ear coverts blackish ash ; neck behind white ; 

 interscapulars light brownish grey ; rump white ; wings light brownish grey, 

 paler on the median coverts ; primaries dull blackish near the tips, the secon- 

 daries broadly tipped with dusky ; tertiaries and their coverts tipped greyish 

 white, and forming 3 4 conspicuous bars ; upper tail coverts and tail ashy 

 black, with a broad greyish white curved band, the points of which reach the 

 tips of the outer feathers, which are basally white externally ; bill black ; 

 irides yellow ; legs red. 



Length. 13'$ to 14 inches ; tail 5 ; wing 9-5. 



Hab. N.-W. Himalayas from 1 0,000 feet to snow level. 



Gen. AlsOCOmuS. Tick. 



Bill small, much compressed ; wings long, 2nd quill equal to 4th, the $rd 

 longest and sinuate on the outer web. 



1164. AlsOCOmuS puniceus, Tickell, J. A. S. B. xi. p. 462 ; 



B. Ind. ii. p. 462, No. 782 ; Blyth, B. Burm. p. 145 ; Ward law- Ramsay, Ibis, 

 Jerd., 1877, p. 147; Hume and D aviso n, Str. F. vi. p. 418 j Legge, B. Ceylon, 

 p. 698 ; Hume, Sir. F. viii. p. 109 ; Oates t Sir. F. viii. p. 167 ; Bingham, ibid. 

 p. 196; Oates, Str. F. x. p. 235 ; Oates, B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 289. The PURPLE 

 WOOD PIGEON. 



Whole plumage vinaceous ruddy, inclining to chestnut on the back and 

 wings, the feathers more or less glossed with metallic green and amethystine, 



