16 COLUMBID.E. 



1282. Sphenocercus apicicauda. The Pin-tailed Green Pigeon. 



Treron apicauda, Hodf/s., Bli/th, J. A. S. B. xiv, p. 854 (1845). 

 Sphenocercus apicaudus, Blyth, Cat. p. 230 ; Jerdon, B. I. iii, 



p. 454; Godw.-Amt. J. A. S. B. xxxix, pt. 2, p. Ill; Wold, in 



Blyttts Birds Burin, p. 144 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 415 ; 



Hume, Cat. no. 779 ; S. F. xi, p. 292 j Stuart Baker, Ibis, 1896, 



p. 356. 

 Spheiiocercus apicicauda, Oates,B. B. ii, p. 305; Salvad. Ann. Mus. 



Civ. Gen. (2) vii, p. 424 ; id. Cat. B. M. xxi, p. 5. 



Sang-pong, Lepcha. 



Coloration. Male. General colour green, tinged with yellow on 

 crown and sides of head, rump, and upper tail-coverts and under- 

 parts; hind neck greyish; upper breast tinged with orange and 

 slightly washed with pink ; lower flank-feathers with buffy-white 

 edges ; under tail-coverts cinnamon, with more or less buffy white 

 on the outer webs ; primaries and secondaries blackish grey, with 

 very narrow yellow outer edges ; tertiaries green like the coverts ; 

 both tertiaries and greater coverts more broadly bordered with 

 yellow outside ; whole wing inside dove-grey ; tail-feathers grey, 

 extreme base of all and tips of middle pair green ; outer feathers 

 with a broad black band across the basal half. 



Female. The orange tinge on the breast is wanting ; there is 

 generally much more buff on the edges of the under tail-coverts 

 and some green about the shafts. 



Bill dull smalt-blue; irides with an inner ring of pale bright 

 blue and an outer ring of buffy pink ; orbital skin blue : legs, feet, 

 and claws crimson-pink (Davisoti). 



Length of male about 16'5 ; tail 8'5 ; wing 6-5 ; tarsus -85 ; 

 bill from gape 1. Females have a shorter tail: length 14-5; 

 tail 7. 



Distribution. The Himalayas, below 5000 or 6000 feet, as far 

 west as Kumaun, the Assam and Manipur hills, and those of 

 Northern Tenasserim from Karennee to Mooleyit. 



Habits, $c. The nest, according to JVlr. C. IStuart Baker, is a 

 small stick platform on a sapling or a bush, and contains normally 

 two eggs, measuring on an average T30 by '96. This bird is only 

 known to occur in hill-forests ; it keeps in flocks and feeds on 

 fruit, generally amongst high trees. The call-note is a melodious 

 whistle similar to that of the next species, but less musical. This 

 Green Pigeon breeds in Cachar throughout April, May, and June. 



1283. Sphenocercus sphenurus. The Kokla Green Pigeon. 



Vinago sphenura, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 173. 



Vinago cantillans, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xii, p. 166 (1843) (caged 



variety). 



1868, p. 372 ; Stoltczka, J. A. S. B. xxxvn, pt. 2, p. 65; Godw.- 

 Aust. J. A. S. B. xxxix, pt. 2, p. Ill ; xlv, pt. 2, p. 203 ; Hume $ 

 Senders. Lah. to Yark. p. 270 ; Hume, N. E. p. 494 ; Hume $ 



