COLUMBID.E. 



exclusively in Lower Bengal and to the eastward in Assam, and 

 throughout Burma, Cochin China, and Siain. 



The Burmese bird is generally distinguished as O. viridifrons, but 

 this is, I think, an incorrect interpretation of the facts. There are 

 in the Indian Empire two perfectly well-marked species C.phoeni- 

 copterus, as described by Latham, with an ashy-grey lower breast and 

 abdomen and with green on the forehead and tail; and C. chlorogaster, 

 with the lower breast and abdomen greenish yellow like the upper 

 breast and throat, and with (normally) no green on the forehead or 

 tail. But throughout Northern India both these birds occur and also 

 numerous intermediate forms, and as these intermediate forms are 

 well known from occurring in the best-explored region, they have 

 come to be regarded as typical phoenicopterus, and the more cha- 

 racteristic Burmese birds have been distinguished as viridifrons, on 

 account of their having rather more yellowish green on the tail and 

 forehead and a grey rump. Not one of the distinctions is constant, 

 there being for instance specimens of green-rumped birds from 

 Thayet Myo, Pegu, Toungoo, and Cochin China in the British 

 Museum collection. 



Habits, cjir. The common Green Pigeons of India and Burma are 

 usually seen in flocks, which feed on fruit (the figs of the banyan 

 tree for instance), and may often be recognized by their peculiar, 

 rather musical call. They always perch on trees, and resemble the 

 foliage so closely in colour that it is often almost impossible to see 

 them unless they move, and even then difficult to watch them. They 

 are occasionally caged for the sake of their notes. The breeding 

 season is from March to June, and they lay, like so many other 

 pigeons, two oval white glossy eggs on a loosely-constructed plat- 

 form of small sticks, without any lining, and placed on the branch 

 of a tree. The eggs measure about 1*25 by '95. 



According to Jerdon the next species (the habits of both are 

 identical) comes to the banks of rivers in flocks about 9 A.M. to 

 drink, but Hume (S. F. x, p. 59) doubts whether they ever drink, 

 and I cannot recollect seeing them do so. 



1272. Crocopns chlorogaster. The Southern Green Pigeon. 



Vinago chlorigaster, Blyth, J.A. S. B. xii, p. 167 note (1843). 



Treron jerdom, Strickland, A. M. N. H. xiii, p. 38 (1844). 



Treron chlorigaster, Blyth, Cat. p. 229; Layard, A. M. N. H. (2) 



xiv, p. 57. 

 Crocopus chlorogaster, Bonap. Consp. Av. ii, p. 12; Salvadori, Cat. 



B. M. xxi, p. 30. 

 Crocopus chlorigaster, Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 448 ; Blanford, J. A. S. B. 



xxxviii, pt. 2, p. 187 ; Adam, S. F. i, p. 390 ; Butler, S. F. iv, 



p. 2 ; ix, p. 419 ; Murray, S. F. vii, p. 113 ; Ball, ibid. p. 224 ; 



Hume, Cat. no. 773 ; Tidal, S. F. ix, p. 73 ; Leyye, Birds Ceyl. 



p. 722 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 58 ; Davidson, ibid. p. 314 ; Davison, 



ibid. p. 406 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 285 ; id. Jour. Bom. N. H. 



Soc. v, p. 328 ; Gates in Hume's N. Sf E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 372. 



Haridl, H. ; Pacha yuwa, Tel. ; Pacha pora, Tam. 



Coloration as in C. phosnicopterus, except that the breast and 



