J 34



Mr. Pelham T. L. Dodsworth,



their mouths. When hungry, the birds always became very

active, hopping about from perch to perch and peering anxiously

at their mistress, if she happened to be standing near their cage.

If no notice was taken of them, or she walked away from the cage

without feeding them, they would settle down into their usual

lethargic condition, but immediately renewed their activities on

catching sight of her; the presence of strangers or of others in

the house was entirely ignored by the birds.


I will now deal with the popular native beliefs mentioned

by Mr. Dewar that Green Pigeons never descend to the ground,

and that when they have occasion to drink, they either settle on

a slender reed close to the water, or carry a twig in their feet.

These stories are, to the best of my knowledge, prevalent through¬

out the whole of Upper India, and referring to them in his “ Birds

of Lucknow Civil Division,” Geo. Reid remarks (S.F. Vol. X., p.

59): ‘‘Beall these ‘yarns’ as they may, it is a rare occurrence

to see a Green Pigeon on the ground—still rarer to see it drink¬

ing.” With reference to this, Hume appended the note : “But

do they ever drink? I think not.” Blanford adds, (Fauna, Birds

of India, Vol. IV., p. 6) that he cannot recollect ever seeing

these birds drink. Against these opinions we have that of

Jerdon, who states emphatically (Birds of India, Vol. III. p. 449)

that the birds ( Crocopus chlorogaster') “ come in large parties,

generally about nine a. 111., to certain spots on liver banks, to drink ,

and after taking a draught of water, occasionally walk a few steps

07 L the danip sand, appearing to pick up small pebbles, pieces of

gravel or sand.” The italics are mine. Now it is by no means

easy to steer one’s course amidst this formidable array of con¬

flicting statements expressed by the leading Indian ornithologists.

It is out of the question to suppose, even for a moment, that

Jerdon could possibly have been mistaken, while, on the other

hand, it seems extraordinary that, if Green Pigeons were habitual

drinkers, the point should have escaped the observations of such

acute ornithologists as Hume and Blanford. Whether the rest

of the species of Green Pigeons also have particular spots where

they descend to the ground to drink water, or whether the juice

from the berries and fruit, which they feed on, suffices to quench

their thirst, I know not, but certain it is that the pair of my



