18 COLUMBIDJE. 



Subfamily CARPOPHAGINJE. 



This subfamily contains the largest Indian species of the order, 

 known in India as Imperial Pigeons. Like the Treronince, they 

 are fruit-eaters and live entirely in trees, and they have similar 

 feet; but they differ greatly from the Green Pigeons and approach 

 the CoJumbince in plumage and also in anatomy, as they have an oil- 

 gland and an ambiens muscle. They^ are also distinguished by 

 laying in general only a single egg, a peculiarity repeated, as will 

 be noticed presently, by a genus ot the Columbine subfamily. The 

 tail-feathers are 14 in number. 



The bill is proportionately larger than in Treronince, and the 

 gape very wide, enabling these pigeons to swallow fruits of con- 

 siderable size. All are forest birds ; and the whole group, which 

 ranges from India to Polynesia, is chiefly insular in its distribution. 

 Even of the six species here included, two are found, within our 

 area, only in the islands of the Bay of Bengal. 



Key to tlie Genera. 



a. Head, neck, and lower parts grey. 



a'. IVlantle green ; inner primaries normal . . OARPOPHAGA, p. 18. 

 b 1 . Mantle not green ; inner primaries 



obliquely truncated DUCULA, p. 20. 



b. Plumage entirely white and black MYHISTICIVOBA, p. 23. 



Genus CARPOPHAGA, Selby, 1835. 



In Carpophaga the bill is long and slender, depressed and soft 

 at the base, the horny tip being much shorter than the soft basal 

 portion. "Wings long, primaries normal. Tail rather long, 



Fig. 4. Sole of foot of Carpophaga cenea. \. 



rounded at the end. Tarsus short, stout, feathered for hnlf its 

 length; toes stout, very broad beneath. No yellow on the 

 wings ; mantle metallic green ; head, neck, and lower parts grey. 

 Sexes alike. 



A large genus, widely distributed in the Oriental and Australian 

 regions. Two species occur within our limits. 



