342 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 



796.— Turtur risorius, Lin, 



Male, Nepal Plains, December. — Length, 1-2-25; expanse, 

 21"77 ; wing-, 7'2 ; tail, 5*45 ; tarsus, I'O ; bill from gape, 0'93 ; 

 bill at front, 0'68 ; closed wings short of tail, 2*0. 



Bill horny blacky irides crimson ; feet dark purplish. 



This specimen is large and deep tinted ; in the latter respect 

 quite resembling a specimen from Kaleegunj on the Brahma- 

 pootra in Mr. Hume's collection ; and differing markedly from 

 the pale examples obtained in Rajpootana. 



The Ring Dove was found in small numbers only in the He- 

 toura Dun, but was common in the Nepal plains, in winter. It 

 never occurs in the valley of Nepal. 



797.— Turtur tranquebaricus, Herm. 



This Dove was common in the Hetoura Dun, at Bichiakoh, 

 and generally in the Sal Forest near those places, in winter. 



803.--Pavo cristatus, Lin. (Mujur.) 



The Common Peafowl is found along the outer base of the 

 Sandstone Range, about Bichiakoh, but not in any great num- 

 bers ; it does not extend further in, nor does it here ascend the 

 hills even to the height of 2,000 feet, to the best of my behef. 

 The bird certainly does not occur in the wild state in the valley 

 of Nepal, although domesticated birds are often seen there. I 

 once saw a party of seven Peafowl at Bichiakoh in December ; 

 early in the morning, the birds had come down to the stream to 

 drink, and on being alarmed they ran to a plot of ground over- 

 grown with tall grass and from thence flew off, singly, to the 

 shelter of the forest. 



804.— Lophophorus impeyanus, Lath. (Dafai,) 



Male. — Length, 26-8 ; expanse, 36"0 ; wing, 11 ; tail, 8'8 ; 

 tarsus, 2'7 ; spur, 0*47 ; bill from gape, 1-85 ; bill at front, 2-05 ; 

 wings short of tail, 6*1; mid-toe and claw, 3*0; crest, 30; 

 weight, 5 lbs. 6 ozs. 



Bill grey horny at tip, dusky at base and along culmen ; 

 irides brown ; orbital skin brilliant turquoise blue ; lower eye- 

 lid grey, black spotted ; feet dingy greenish yellow ; claws and 

 spurs dusky. 



This fine species seems to be fairly common in the interior of 

 Nepal at high elevations, but it does not occur within that part 

 of the country which Europeans are allowed to visit. I procur- 

 ed several specimens which had been trapped and brought to the 

 valley for sale ; the birds bore confinement very well and were 

 sedentary and rather stupid. Jerdon gives Dajia as the Bengali 



