296 FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS OF 



the next day and found another egg had been laid. I brought the 

 nest, &c, away for fear of the eggs being eaten by any bird, 

 so am unable to say if they lay more than that number of 

 eggs. 



772 — Crocopus phcenicopterus, Lath. 



Males.— Length, 13*25 to 13*75 ; expanse, 21*25 to 23-0 • 

 wing, 7*0 to 7'33 ; tail from vent, 4*92 to 5*0 ; tarsus, TO to 

 1-08; bill from gape, 1-08 to 0*94; at front, 080 to 0;75 ; 

 closed wings fall short of end of tail, 1*75 to 2*50 ; weight, 

 9 to 10 ozs. Legs orange yellow ; bill whitish ; cere greenish. 



Females.— Length, 12- to 1316; expanse, 21- to 22-62; 

 ■wing, 6-75 to 7*25 ; tail from vent, 4*25 to 4*83 ; tarsus, 1* to 

 1-08 ; bill from gape, 0*92 to 1-0 ; at front, 0*71 to 0-75 ; 

 closed wings fall short of end of tail, 1*60 to 2*0 ; weight, 7 

 to 9 ozs. Legs yellow ; bill whitish ; cere greenish. 



Common, and a permanent resident ; they breed in June, but I 

 failed to find the nest. This species is strictly frugivorous ; the 

 natives say that whenever this bird descends to the water's 

 edge for a drink it holds a twig in its claws ; it prides itself on 

 living altogether on trees, and in order that it may not be 

 accused of perching on the ground when it descends to drink, 

 it brings down with it a twig to stand upon ! 



788.— Columba intermedia, Strickl. 



Very common indeed ; all over the district the ruins of indigo 

 factories are scattered about, and these and the temples afford 

 roosting places for these birds ; they build in these ruins prin- 

 cipally in May and June. On several occasions I have noticed 

 them alight on trees and bamboos. The natives of these parts 

 do not venerate this bird as they do in the North-West. 



788 bis.— Columba livia, Bonap. 



25th January 1878, Male.— Length, 13*75 ; expanse, 25*0 ; 

 wing, 8*70 ; tail, 5*0 ; tarsus, 1*0; bill from gape, 1*0 ; closed 

 wings equal end of tail. Legs light pink ; claws black ; bill 

 black; irides brick red with an inner circle of yellowish 

 white ; eyelids light bluish. 



I have seen about half a dozen birds of this species during 

 my stay in the district ; they were single individuals in amongsl 

 flocks of intermedia. 



793.— *Turtur meena, Syhes. 



On the 3rd of August 1877, 1 saw three birds fly past me which 

 I identified as this species ; having seen numbers in Sylhet I 



