462 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Bill small, much compressed ; wings long and ample, 2nd quill 

 equal to the 4th, 3rd longest, sinuated on its- outer web beyond 

 the middle ; tail about even ; lateral toes slightly unequal ; claws 

 stronger than in Palumbus, and somewhat more curved. 



This form barely differs from Palumbus ; the first species, 

 however, with which Blyth associates C. norfolciensis of Australia, 

 having a more tropical distribution, and being, perhaps, more 

 strictly arboreal than the Cushats. 



782. Alsocomus puniceus, Tickell. 



J. A. S. XL 462— Blyth, Cat. 1411. 



The Purple Wood-pigeon. 



Descr. — General colour fine vinaceous ruddy, somewhat paler 

 below ; the feathers, especially of the upper parts, margined conspi- 

 cuously with glossy changeable green and amethystine purple, the 

 former colour prevailing on the neck and the sides of the breast,, 

 and the latter elsewhere ; the whole top of the head, including 

 the occiput, greyish white ; wings and tail blackish ; the primaries 

 tinged externally with grey; rump and upper tail-coverts dusky, 

 edged with glossy green; lower tail-coverts nigrescent. 



Bill livid at the base, with a yellow tip; irides amber-colored, 

 with an orange red outer circle; legs and feet dull lake. Length 

 16 inches; extent 24; wing 8 to 8^; tail 7. 



The female only differs from the male in being a trifle smaller, 

 and somewhat duller in its tints. 



This handsome Wood-pigeon is found, in India, only in the 

 Eastern portion of Central India, extending to near the Sea coast 

 in Midnapore, and probably southwards towards Cuttack. I 

 never procured it on the Malabar Coast, nor in any part of South- 

 ern India, though it is occasionally met with in Ceylon. It 

 appears to be more common to the East of the Bay of Bengal, 

 in Assam, Arrakan (particularly the island of Kamree), and 

 Tenasserim. 



Tickell records that it occurs (in Singboom where he first 

 observed it) in small parties of four or five, always along the banks 

 of rivers which are shaded by large forest trees. They feed 



