128 GLIMPSES OF INDIAN BIRDS 



tree they behave as if they were schoolboys let loose 

 in a tuck shop ! 



The Hindustani name for the green pigeon is Harrial. 

 The natives, or at any rate some of them, assert that 

 the bird never descends to the ground, because when 

 its foot touches the earth the bird loses a pound in 

 weight, in other words, shrivels up into nothingness I 

 If asked how it drinks, they will reply that it settles 

 on a reed which bends with its weight, so that it is 

 able to partake of the water beneath without touching 

 the earth. In the absence of a conveniently situated 

 reed, the green pigeon overcomes the difficulty by 

 carrying a twig in its feet. It would be interesting 

 to discover the origin of this story, which is on a par 

 with that which asserts that the red-wattled lapwing 

 (Sarcogrammus indicus) sleeps on its back with its 

 legs in the air, in order to be ready to catch the sky 

 on its feet if ever this should fall ! As a matter of 

 fact green pigeons are very arboreal in their habits. 

 I do not remember ever having seen one of them on 

 the ground. 



The note of the green pigeons is not a coo, but a 

 pleasant whistle. The birds are sometimes caged 

 on account of their song. But they are uninteresting 

 pets. In captivity they soon lose their beauty, because 

 they are so gluttonous as to smear the head and neck 

 with whatever fruit be given them to eat. 



Green pigeons are said to be far less obtrusive in 

 their courtship than the majority of their kind. The 

 male does hot puff himself out after the manner of 

 other cock pigeons, but is content to bow before his 



