270 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF INDIA. 



Nicobar specimens from the Andaman birds, or from Indian 

 ones. Doubtless, as a body, all the insular specimens have the 

 rump bands somewhat less strongly marked than is customary 

 in continental Indian specimens. The white frontal band also 

 is generally somewhat narrower, but I can discover no other 

 difference. The birds are certainly not smaller, there is 

 no difference in the color of the under parts whatsoever, nor in 

 that of the lesser coverts, and though in one or two specimens 

 the hind head is darker than is usual in Indian birds, I have 

 a male from Anjango in which this is as dark as in any 

 Nicobar bird. Either therefore Augusta of Bonaparte 

 (vide Stray Feathers, 1873, p. 81) is not a good species ; 

 or, while meeting with plenty of indicus, we failed to come 

 across it, though we visited every island of the group and 

 several of them twice. 



As regards the broad bluish grey stripe descending from 

 the crown to the interscapulary region, (vide Ibis, 1873, p. 315) 

 this is present in many Andaman and Nicobar specimens. I 

 do not think that its presence or absence has any reference to the 

 breeding of the bird. One specimen killed in January has it 

 very strongly, another not a trace of it. One specimen killed 

 in February has it strongly, another has no trace of it : a March 

 bird has it an April bird has not; and all this while the birds 

 were breeding. 



Davison says : — " Generally distributed in both Andamans and 

 Nicobars, and exceedingly numerous in some localities at the 

 former. Its habits are those of the Indian bird, feeding alono- 

 shady paths, &c" 



At the Nicobars Mr. Davison found this species breeding 

 in the latter half of February, and the beginning of March. 

 The nests were placed in small trees about 6 feet from the 

 ground or laid on the frond of a young cocoanut palm at about 

 the same elevation. The nests were built entirely of twigs, 

 but rather more compactly than is usual with doves ; they were 

 mere circular platforms devoid of any lining, and contained 

 each two eggs. 



The eggs vary from broad to moderately elongated ovals, 

 some are rather conspicuously pointed just at one end ; the 

 shell is fine and fairly glossy, the color varies from very slightly 

 creamy white to white with a decided though very pale cafe au 

 lait tinge. They are of course entirely free from all mark- 

 ings. 



The eggs vary in size from 1*05 to l'l in length, and from 

 0-82 to 0-86 in breadth. 



