Illustrations of Indian Ornithology. 



Carnatic, and once on the Malabar coast, but I have lately obtained specimens from Travau- 

 core, and also from the jungles of the Eastern ghauts inland from Nellore. Mr. Blyth too has 

 obtained it at Calcutta from the Botanic garden there where it breeds, and also from the 

 Sunderbunds, and has received it from Arracan, and other places to the Eastward. 1 

 observed it myself always in small flocks. 



The note of the green pigeons is a very pleasing full toned rolling whistle. 

 Though usually impatient of confinement they will sometimes live for a long time when caged, 

 and properly attended to. 



Description. Back of head and neck above blue grey ; forehead, top of 

 head, face, chin, throat and belly, yellow green ; the rest of the plumage above green; 

 a broad band of orange or bright cinnamon yellow on the breast, separated from the green 

 of the throat by a light purple band ; lower part of abdomen and vent yellow, some of the 

 feathers streaked with green ; under tail coverts entirely cinnamon colour ; tail above grey 

 with a central dark band, and edged lighter, beneath almost black, with a broad whitish 

 margin; edges of the greater wing coverts broadly margined with yellow. 



Length about lOj inches, wing 6, TaiM.J. Bill glaucous white, legs lake red. 

 Irides smalt blue with an exterior ciixle of carmine. 



The young (or it may be the female) differs from the adult male in wanting entire- 

 ly the purple and orange bands on the breast, and in the under tail coverts being mi.\cd 

 with white. 



The Malayan V. vernans, of which a specimen is now before me, differs in having 

 whole head, face and throat grey, in the purple band being much wider and extending round 

 the neck, in the deeper tint of the orange, in the upper tail coverts being tawny and in the 

 tail wanting the broad edging of white beneath &c. &c. It is also a smaller bird. I add the 

 dimensions. Length about 9j, wing 5g, tail 4. 



The other species of green pigeon found in the South of India are as follows. 

 1st r. chlorigaster Blyth, V. Jerdoni Strickland, V. militaris, Jerdon Cata- 

 logue No. 286. This has only been recently recorded as distinct from the true militaris of 

 Northern India. 



2nd. V. malabarica Jerdon n. s., V. aromatica Jerdon Cat. No. 287, and 288 

 (the female). On sending a specimen of this bird to Mr. Blyth, that gentleman informed me 

 that it differs from the true aromaticus of Northern India in the form of the bill and in some 



