TRERONINiE. 453 



778. Bphenocercus splienurus, Vigors. 



Vinago, apud Vigors — Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pi. 57 — V. 

 cantillans, Blyth, Cat. 1391 — Kokla or Kekila, H. — Phoo-pho, or 

 Koohoo-pho, Lepch. — Coorbem, Bhot. 



The Kokla Green Pigeon. 



Descr. — -Male, general plumage green, with a ruddy tinge on 

 the head and breast ; shoulder of wings and mantle maronne, 

 which also tinges the scapulars ; a narrow yellow edging to the 

 wing-coverts ; quills dusky black ; tail green above ; the outer 

 feathers slaty, with a dark sub-terminal band ; beneath green ; the 

 breast brightly tinged with orange buff, extending more or less on 

 the throat ; vent and under tail-coverts pale cinnamon colour. 



The female differs in wanting the ruddy tinge on the breast, 

 and in the lower tail-coverts being mixed white and green. 



Bill pale glaucous blue, almost white at the tip ; irides blue 

 and red ; legs coral red ; nude skin round eyes pale blue. Length 

 13 inches ; extent 21 ; wing 7 ; tail 5^ ; bill at front f . 



The Kokla Green Pigeon is spread throughout the Himalayas, 

 extending into the hilly regions of Assam and Sylhet. It frequents 

 the zone from 4,000 to 8,000 feet, in winter perhaps descending- 

 lower, for Hutton remarks that they leave Mussooree in October, 

 returning in April to breed. It is common at Darjeeling, but, as 

 Tickell remarks, not so extensively gregarious as the common 

 green pigeons of the plains. They frequent high trees, and feed 

 of course exclusively on fruit. Hutton found them breeding in 

 May and June, making the usual nest of dried twigs, and with 

 two white eggs. 



The male has a most agreeable note, more prolonged and 

 musical than that of Crocopus. Blyth says of it : — " The notes 

 bear some resemblance to the human voice in singing, and are 

 highly musical in tone, being considerably prolonged and modu- 

 lated, but always terminating abruptly, and every time the stave 

 is repeated exactly as before, so that it soon becomes wearisome 

 to an European ear." After moulting in confinement, the green 

 colour, in some specimens, becomes replaced by a delicate pearl 

 grey, and the russet tinge of the head and breast becomes pale 



