CAEPOPHAGA .EKEA. 721 



very shy when feeding it may easily be shot when wending its way across country in flights to drink in the 

 morning or to roost in the afternoon. At such times a regular stream of these birds will continue to cross a 

 road in the Eastern Province for perhaps half an hour together, and they afford very good shooting. It is well 

 styled, together with all its genus, "Imperial Pigeon." On the wing, when dashing into a forest-glade in the 

 Pasdun Korale or Saffragam, or sweeping across an opening in the dense jungle of the Park country, it is a 

 splendid bird, and to the hungry sportsman by no means to be despised for the table. Indeed, if kept for a 

 couple of days in the dry hot districts of the island, it becomes very tender, and its flesh is then almost equal 

 to that of the succulent smaller Fruit-Pigeons, the " Batta-goya " of the Singhalese. 



There is something quite startling in its grand guttural note, when heard uttered from the top of a tall 

 tree in the forest ravines of Southern Ceylon ; it resembles the syllables wuck-woobr, the last having a deep 

 sepulchral sound. Mr. Ball, who calls it a deep sonorous coo, which he represents by the words wuh, toooh, 

 says " there is something weird about it when heard resounding through the valleys.'" When feeding, like 

 other Pigeons they are silent, and it is generally about 10 o'clock in the morning, when sitting motionless, 

 a few perhaps together near the top of a tree, that they utter their coo. They are most difficult to see when 

 the spectator is approaching them from behind, as their green plumage assorts so well with the surrounding 

 verdant foliage. It is a gluttonous fruit-eater, swallowing its food whole, and is perhaps fonder of the berries 

 of the Bo-tree {Urostigma religiosum) and of the "Palu" or " iron-wood " (Mimusops indica) than those of 

 any other trees. In the south-east of Ceylon both these trees are to be found growing by themselves among 

 small scrubby jungle and towering far above it ; and when in fruit, Pigeons flock to them from all sides until 

 the branches are literally laden with them. In Saffragam I found them feeding on the wild cinnamon-fruit, 

 and also on wild nutmegs, which their enormous gape enables them to swallow with ease. The nutmeg is, of 

 course, as in the case of the Myna, voided after the mace has been digested ; and Mr. Davison remarks 

 that, " in Southern India, this is so well known, and the good taste of the birds, who always select the ripest 

 and the finest fruit, so thoroughly relied upon, that people are sent round to collect the nutmegs thus discarded 

 by these Pigeons, as these are the best and can most be relied on for seed." The reason for this singular 

 practice is, he writes, " that birds and animals only eat the perfectly ripe fruit when they have a large choice, 

 and that the seeds of these germinate more freely than the more or less unripe ones of which the coolies are 

 certain to gather so many." 



It is remarked by Jerdon that in the hot weather they resort to the salt swamps of the Malabar coast to 

 feed on the buds of Aricennia. 



The stout feet possessed by these Pigeons enables them to walk freely along the branches, or hold on 

 firmly while reaching out at their food. It is said to erect the feathers of its head and neck when wounded ; 

 and Mr. Ball says that, when doing this, it looks double its natural size, and strikes out violently with its wings. 

 Mr. Davison, who notices, with reason, the loud "put-put-put " made by their powerful wings when they dash 

 out of a tree, says they are not quarrelsome, like many Green Pigeons, but, on the contrary, are sociable and 

 gentle together. 



Nidification. — Considering that this Fruit-Pigeon is so common, it is surprising that so little has been 

 written about its nesting. I am not aware that its nest has been taken by any naturalist in Ceylon ; but I 

 am able to state that it breeds in April and May in the south of the island, as I shot a female on the 28th of 

 the former month at Baddegama, in the oviduct of which was an egg almost ready for expulsion. Mr. Inglis 

 states that a nest he saw in North-eastern Cachar was built about 30 feet from the ground, and consisted of 

 " a very few sticks and a few stiff grasses." It contained two young birds. Two eggs, sent by Captain 

 Wimberley to Mr. Hume from the Andamans, were broad ovals, obtuse at both ends, pure white, with a 

 slight gloss, and measured 16 by T25 inch. Jerdon speaks of a Shikaree informing him that he had found 

 a nest with two eggs ; so that there seems quite evidence enough to show that this species differs from 

 most other members of the genus, who only deposit a single egg. 



4z 



