470 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



most partial to large buildings, such as Churches, Pagodas, Mosques, 

 Tombs, and the like; frequently entering verandahs of inhabited 

 houses, and building in the cornices. Holes in walls of cities or 

 towns, too, are favorite places, and, in some parts of the country, they 

 prefer holes in wells, especially, I think, in the West of India, 

 the Deccan, &c. In default of such spots, they will breed in 

 crevices and cavities of rocks, caverns, and sea-side cliffs ; and I have 

 often noticed that they are particularly partial to rocky cliffs by 

 waterfalls. The celebrated falls of Gaissoppa are tenanted by 

 thousands of Blue Pigeons, which here associate with the large 

 Alpine Swift. It is more rare in forest countries generally than 

 in the open country. It extendsTrorn Ceylon throughout India to 

 the Himalayas, and also to Assam, Sylhet, and Burmah. It is 

 doubtful if it occurs in Afghanistan, or in other parts of Central 

 Asia. These Pigeons are held in favor by most natives, and 

 almost venerated by some ; and if they build in the house of a 

 native, he considers it a most fortunate omen. They are, however, 

 very destructive to grain, assembling in vast flocks in the cold 

 weather, and, in general, the natives do not object to their being 

 shot. They are undoubtedly the origin of most of the domestic 

 Pio-eons of India. 



789. Columba rupestris, Pallas. 



Zoog. Ross. As., pi. 25 — 0. livia, pied variety, Adams, Birds of 

 India, 208. 



The Blue Hill-pigeon. 



Descr. — Like intermedia, but much lighter in its plumage. Top of 

 head, and side of face, ashy-grey; back of neck glossed with green ; 

 wing-coverts and upper part of back light grey ; the middle of 

 the back white; upper tail-coverts dark ashy-grey; quills grey, 

 with black shafts, and darker at the tips and on the outer webs ; 

 some of the larger wing-coverts, the winglet, and last secondaries, 

 with a patch of greyish black, forming two indistinct curved 

 bands ; tail dark grey at the base, broadly tipped with black, and 

 with a broad stripe of white between these two colors; the outer 

 tail-feathers pure white from their bases on the external web, 



