306 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



Genus TRERON, Vieill 



665. TRERON NIPALENSIS. 

 THE THICK-BILLED GREEN PIGEON. 



Toria nipalensis, Hodys. As. Res. xix. p. 164. Treron nipalensis, Jerd. B. Ind. 

 ii, p, 446 j Hume, S. F. iii. p. 160 ; Bl fy Wold. B. Burnt, p. 143 ; Hume fy Dav. 

 S. F. vi. p. 410 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 109 ; Bingham, 8. F. ix. p. 193; Oates, 8. 

 F. x, p, 235, 



Description. Male. Forehead and crown clear ashy, tinged with green 

 on the nape ; sides of the head and neck, and a broad collar round the 

 hind neck extending to the upper back dull green ; chin, throat, breast, 

 abdomen and sides of the body brighter green, the latter tinged with slaty ; 

 back, scapulars and most of the lesser wing-coverts maroon ; remainder 

 of the lesser coverts and the tertiaries green ; median coverts green, broadly 

 edged with yellow, the outermost ones mostly tinged with blackish ; greater 

 coverts blackish, edged with yellow ; primaries and their coverts black, 

 the latter very narrowly edged with whitish; secondaries black, edged 

 with yellow on the outer web; lower back, rump and upper tail- 

 coverts green ; central tail-feathers wholly green, the next pair greenish 

 with ashy tips, the others ashy tinged with green on the outer webs and 

 with a bar of black across ; vent green dashed with white ; under tail- 

 coverts cinnamon-colour, the lateral feathers green tipped with white. 



The female differs in having the maroon of the upper plumage replaced 

 by dark green, and in having the under tail-coverts white irregularly barred 

 with green. 



Bill red at base, yellow on culmen, bluish white on the corneous portion ; 

 mouth reddish ; eyelids greenish blue ; iris blue ; legs bright red ; claws 

 pale horn. 



Length 10*8 inches, tail 3'5, wing 5*7, tarsus '9, bill from gape '95. 

 The female is a trifle smaller. 



The birds of this genus may be separated from the other Green Pigeons 

 by the shape of the bill, the corneous portion of which is very large, 

 extending back to the edge of the feathers of the forehead ; and the third 

 primary is sinuated on the inner web. 



The Thick-billed Green Pigeon is found throughout the more hilly and 

 well-wooded portions of the Province, and is abundant. 



To the north it occurs in the hill-tracts of Eastern Bengal and the South- 

 eastern Himalayas ; and to the south it extends down the Malay peninsula 

 to Sumatra ; it also occurs in Siam and Cochin China. 



Like other Green Pigeons, it is found in flocks feeding on fruits and 

 visiting those trees which produce them. Capt. Bingham found it breeding 

 in Tenasserim in February and March ; the number of eggs laid is two- 



