452 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



777. Osmotreron flavo-gularis, Blyth. 



J. A. S. XXVI., 225. — T. malabarica, var, pompadoura, apud 

 Layard — V. aromatica, var, Jerdon, Cat. 287 (in part). 



The Yellow-fronted Green Pigeon. 



J)escr. — Very similar to 0. malabarica, but appears to have 

 constantly a yellowish forehead, a pure yellow throat, no buff 

 patch on the breast, and the under tail-coverts are green in both 

 sexes, with broad whitish tips. Dimensions of malabarica. 



This nearly allied species was discriminated by Blyth from 

 Ceylon specimens, whence sent by Layard, who procured it in 

 the Mountain zone at the top of the Balcadna Pass, and at 

 Ratnapura. I had long previously noticed it from the South 

 of India as a variety of Malabarica, but am not aware what 

 particular localities it affects. 



O. pompadoura, Gmelin, from Ceylon, figured in Brown's 

 Zoology, is another small species allied to the preceding ; and 

 0. ola.v,Temm., still smaller, appears to represent them in Malayana; 

 whilst 0. fulvicollis, Wagler, also from Malayana, Borneo, &c, 

 differs from all by having the head and neck chesnut. 



The next form differs from the others by the medial tail feathers 

 being lengthened. 



Gen. Sphenocercus, Gray. 



Syn. Sphenuras, Swains. 



Char. — Bill moderately slender and lengthened, the basal two- 

 thirds or more, soft and tumid, and the corneous extremity 

 feeble ; a small nude space round the e}'es ; wings with the third 

 primary not sinuated, as in the previous forms ; tail wedge-shaped, 

 with the central feathers much elongated and narrow in some 

 species ; soles of the feet slender, not broad and flat as in the 

 others. 



This genus, by the narrow toes, evidently leads from the true 

 Green Pigeons towards the Ptilopodince. It is entirely a mountain 

 form. 



