340 A CONTEIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 



Bill horny black ; irides orange ; feet purplish red ; claws black. 



The Blue Rock Pigeon is very common in the valley of 

 Nepalj where it is a parmanent resident. It was also fairly 

 common, in winter, in the Nawakot district, the Markhu Valley 

 and the plains of Nepal. It is found in considerable numbers 

 about all the large temples in the valley, and large flocks are 

 often seen feeding in the fields ; when out in the open it 

 is very shy and wary, as it is constantly fired upon by the 

 Nepalese. 



790.— Columba leuconota, Vig, 



Specimen from hills north of Vallet/.— Length, 12'8 ; expanse, 

 26'0 ; wing, 8*95 ; tail, 5*1 ; tarsus, l"2 ; bill from gape, 

 I'O ; bill at front, 0'66 ; mid-toe and claw, 1'35 ; closed wings 

 short of tail, 1'2; weight, lOozs. 



Bill horny black ; irides yellow ; feet bright light red ; claws 

 horny black ; mouth bright fleshy red. 



This Pigeon is found in the upper northern regions of Nepal, 

 but never occurs in the Nepal Valley. I kept a specimen in 

 confinement for several months ; it was very tame and not at 

 all active. It never attempted to perch, but remained on the 

 ground, generally in a corner of the room. When approached 

 by Pheasants or other birds kept with it in the aviary it uttered 

 the purring coo common to. all pigeons, and used to strike 

 at the birds with its wing when they came too near. 



792.— Turtur orientalis, Lath. 



Six males. — Length, 12 to 12"9 ; expanse, 21*7 to 23"7 ; wing, 

 7'3 to 7*95 ; tail, 5 to 5*6 ; tarsus, I'O ; bill from gape, 0'9 

 to 0'95 ; bill ^at front, 0*65 to 0*7 Ij closed wings short of 

 tail, 1'5 to 2'5 ; weight, 6*5 to 7*5 ozs. 



Six females. — Length, 11-75 to 12'5; expanse, 20'5 to 22*8; 

 wing, 685 to 7'6 ; tail, 5 to 5'6 ; tarsus, 0'97 to 1*13; bill from 

 gape, 0"87 to 0"95; bill at front, 0'6 to 0'75 ; closed wings short 

 of tail, 2"0 to 2"6 ; weight, 6 to 7*5 ozs. 



Bill black or dusky horny ; tumid base of bill, gape, and 

 orbital skin purple ; irides golden yellow to orange red ; feet 

 purple ; claws dusky. 



These twelve specimens must certainly all be referred to one 

 species, and they seem to show that Txirtur meena cannot be 

 separated from Jerdon's " Turtur rupicolus, Pallas." Mr. Hume 

 has often insisted that meena is quite distinct from rupicolus, the 

 former having grey under tail-coverts, while the latter has them 

 WizYe ("Lahore to Yarkand,-" p. 277; ^' Nests and Eggs," pp. 

 500-502 ; S. F., VL, pp. 421-423). Now my Nepal birds have 



