CEOCOPUS CHLOEIGASTER. 723 



very broadly edged and tipped with dull white ; under wing-coverts slaty, tinged with green ; lower thigh-coverts 

 slaty green, edged with white. 



Female has the yellow of the hind neck dusky and that of the chest greener than in the male ; point of the wing and 

 the edges of the adjacent lesser coverts lilac ; shorter under tail-coverts greenish slate, the longer feathers as in 

 the male, and the whole similarly edged. 



Obs. This species is very closely allied to the northern Green Pigeon, C. phcenicoptei'us, which is said by Jerdon to be 

 larger (wing from 7-2 to 8-0 inches), and has the forehead and head strongly tinged with green, and the blue of 

 the crown less decided, the lilac wing-spot larger, the centre of the lower breast and abdomen bright yellow, 

 the tail greenish at the base. Two examples of this species in the British Museum, collected by Capt. Pinwell, 

 measure 7'3 and 7 - 6 inches in the wing. One has a pure slate-coloured tail, with no green at the base. 



C. viridifrons, Blyth, from Burmah, Pegu, and Tenasserim, is an exceedingly handsome species of this genus. A 

 male (Burmah) measures — wing 7-25 inches ; tail 4-5 ; bill to gape 1-6. The forehead and front of crown, lores, 

 face, and throat olive-green ; occiput, nape, and ear-coverts slate-blue, sharply defined against the green ; yellow 

 collar broader than in C. chhrigaster, and the yellow of the chest richer ; more than the basal half of the tail 

 olive-yellow, defined against the broad, dark, slate-coloured terminal band ; breast and flanks delicate slate-blue, 

 clearly defined against the yellow chest. 



Distribution. — This fine Pigeon I was never fortunate enough to meet with. It appears to inhabit (or 

 visit, according to Layard) the extreme north of the island ; and there are two specimens of his collecting in 

 the Poole Museum. He states that " it is migratory, only appearing in the fruit season, and returning again to 

 the coast of India." Mr. Holdsworth procured it near Aripu on the north-west coast, so that it would not 

 appear to be entirely confined to the extreme north. I searched diligently for it in the Trincomalie and 

 north-central districts, but never saw it. It probably inhabits the forest country stretching from the Elephant 

 Pass south-westwards to the gulf of Manaar ; but why it should restrict itself to that part of the island it is 

 hard to say. That it migrates to the island in the fruit season is, I think, scarcely a tenable hypothesis, for 

 all our visitors (those which come in any number) are regular migrants influenced by the ordinary instinct, 

 and moving southwards in the cool season. The banyan-fruit is, I think, chiefly ripe in March, April, and 

 May, which would scarcely be the time when any species would visit our shores. 



Jerdon writes that this species replaces the Bengal Green Pigeon throughout the greater part of the 

 peninsula of India ; he considered it to be rare north of the Nerbudda, though occasionally killed in Lower 

 Bengal. It is, however, found, according to Capt. Butler, throughout the plains of Northern Guzerat, "in 

 all well-wooded districts "; and Mr. Hume adds that it occurs throughout all the surrounding region, though 

 very rare in Sindh, in which province it has only recently been procured at Jacobabad by Mr. J. A. Murray. " It 

 is very abundant," says Jerdon, " in many parts of Southern India, especially along the fine avenues of 

 trees met with in many parts of Mysore and the Carnatic." Concerning its locale in the Deccan, Messrs. 

 Davidson and Wender write that they observed it but rarely about Sholapoor. It was commonest at 

 Lanoli and Egutpoora, and its nest was taken on the Satara hills, where it is common in March. It was 

 also seen at Nulwar. The Rev. Dr. Fairbank found it everywhere in the Khandala district, but nowhere 

 abundant ; he likewise obtained it in avenues at the north base of the Palanis. The localities recorded by 

 Mr. Ball for it are the Rajmehal hills, Manbhum, Lohardugga, Sirguja, Gangpur and Samuda, Sambalpur 

 and Orissa on the north of the Mahanadi, Nowagarh and Karial, and the Godaveri valley ; and elsewhere 

 (Str. Feath. 1874, p. 423) he remarks that most of the specimens he procured in Chota Nagpur belonged to 

 this and not the northern species. Mr. Hume records it from Etawah, Bareilly, Oudh, Futtehgurh, and 

 Meernt, and likewise from various localities in the Central Province, in all of which he states that it breeds. 



Habits. — As regards this fine Pigeon's habits in Ceylon I know nothing but that it is said by Layard to 

 be very fond of the fruit of the banyan. Jerdon states that " it comes in large parties, generally about 

 9 a.m., to certain spots on river-banks to drink, and, after taking a draught of water, occasionally walks a few 

 steps on the damp sand, appearing to pick up small pebbles, pieces of gravel or sand." Their call, he says, 

 " is very similar to that of the Bengal Green Pigeon ;" but this he does not describe. Like all its family it is 



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