PIGEONS 



The rock pigeon (Columba intermedia). 



Length 13.2 to 13.5 inches; bill leaden; legs and feet 

 pinkish-red ; claws black. Head and upper part of throat 

 dull bluish-slate, blending into metallic green on neck and 

 chest and upper back ; back, wing coverts, &c., pale slaty- 

 blue, the wing coverts being crossed by two black bands ; 

 upper tail coverts and tail dark slate-blue. 



This is a fine pigeon, and, to the casual observer, almost 

 a counterpart of the big wood pigeon to be found at home. 

 It was formerly supposed to be extremely local, confined 

 to one or two colonies on the sea-coast, but Captain Legge 

 questions that, and says there are more colonies of these 

 birds in the interior than is usually thought. Whether it 

 is when on the travel or in search of feeding grounds I 

 don't know, but I have found them fairly common in the 

 North Central Province, and have now and then shot them 

 flighting, or stalked and potted them when resting, as they 

 sometimes do, in the very tops of the tallest forest trees, 

 whence may, now and then, be heard the low deep " coo-oo " 

 which seems to be their usual call. 



These pigeons are grain-eaters, I believe, almost en- 

 tirely, and, Captain Legge says, may be met with in large 

 flocks near the shores of Kottiyar Bay, Trincomalee, feeding 

 in the paddy fields, whilst in the Southern Province, near 

 Hambantota and Tangalla, they are met with in great num- 

 bers, feeding in all open spaces, dry paddy fields, threshing 

 floors, and dry-grain cleanings. I have never seen them in 

 flocks in the North Central Province jungle country, but 

 they pass overhead in fair numbers, singly or in pairs 

 towards evening, generally flying eastward. This may be 

 when there is no feeding ground available near the coast, 

 causing them to travel inland in search of fresh fields. 

 There used to be a colony of these birds in a gorge 



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