CHALCOPHAPS. 517 



Family, GOURID^. GROUND-DOVES. 



Wings moderate ; tarsus longer than in the Turturina>, as are also all the 

 toes ; wings shorter and less pointed. The Indian representatives of the 

 family belong to the Phapidince, and Calcenince. 



Sub-Family, PHAPIDIN^E. 



General characters as of the family; tarsus not feathered ; tail of 12, 14 or 

 16 feathers. 



Gen. Chalcophaps Gould. 



Bill slender ; wings moderately long ; 2nd and 3rd quills nearly equal and 

 longest ; tail rather short and rounded ; tarsus not feathered ; plumage rich 

 glossy metallic green. 



1175. Chalcophaps indica (/.), Jerd., B. ind. ii. p. 484, 



No. 798 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 509 ; id., Str. F. ii. p. 269 ; iii. 

 p. 165 ; Salvad., Ucc. Born. p. 299; Bourdillon, Str. F. iv. p, 404; Blyth, 

 B. Burm. p. 147 ; Dav. et. Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 384 ; Hume and Dav., Str. 

 F. vi. p. 424; Hume, Str. F. viii. p. HO,- Legge, B. Ceylon p. 714; Oates, 

 Str. F. x. p. 235 ; Kelham, Ibis, 1881, p. 528; Oates, B. Br. Burm. ii. 

 p. 297. The EMERALD DOVE. 



Forehead white, continued as a supercilium over the eye ; crown, nape, a 

 narrow band down the hind neck and another across the upper back ashy- 

 grey ; back and wings shining dark emerald green ; quills dark brown, the 

 secondaries metallic green on the external web ; tertiaries bright metallic 

 green ; smaller coverts near the edge of the wing white ; on the lower back a 

 narrow band of ashy, followed by a broad black one, then a second ashy one, 

 and lastly a broad band, which with the upper tail coverts is dark ashy 

 brown, tipped darker; sides of the head and neck and the whole under 

 surface of the body deep vinaceous, rather duller on the abdomen ; under 

 tail coverts ashy ; three central pairs of tail feathers dark brown, tipped 

 paler, the others banded with black and ashy ; under wing coverts chestnut ; 

 bill red; irides dark brown ; eyelids plumbeous; legs dusky red. 



Length. 10-5 inches ; tail 4 ; wing 5*8 ; tarsus I ; bill from gape 0-9. 



Hab. Throughout India in forest countries and well wooded districts ; not 

 in the drier regions, as Sind, Rajputana, Kattyawar, &c. It is abundant in 

 Lower Bengal ; extends to Assam and all the countries on the east of the Bay 

 of Bengal as far as Tenasserim. It also occurs in Ceylon, the Andamans, 

 Nicobars, the Indo-Burmese Countries, South China, Siam, the Malay Peninsula, 

 and all the islands nearly down to Australia. Frequents thick forests, and is 

 met with in small parties or in pairs. Breeds from March to July in suitable 

 localities. The nests, according to Hume, are placed in some dense bush or 



