730 OSMOTRERON POMPADORA. 



flesh is at all times delicious ; but when killed during the fruiting-time of the banyan and iron-wood, there 

 is nothing which surpasses this Pigeon in flavour in the island. It is a shy bird and difficult to kill, except 

 when feeding ; it may then easily be shot out of large forest trees, provided the sportsman be concealed, as it 

 feeds so greedily that many do not take flight on the discharge of a gun. They collect in troops of 

 a dozen or more early in the morning or after feeding, and sit motionless on the tops of trees ; on being 

 alarmed, one or two dart off, and arc followed by their companions, one after another, till the whole have taken 

 flight. They are very strong on the wing, and fly with a steady straight course. Their note is a melodious, 

 soft, modulated whistle, which can be precisely imitated, and by doing which many are enticed, by " Eurasians " 

 in the north of Ceylon, into uttering it, and are thus more easily descried in the green foliage and then shot. 

 There is something peculiarly charming in their human-like notes when heard in the tops of lofty trees over- 

 shadowing the mighty bunds by which the ancient kings of Ceylon dammed up valleys and skilfully formed 

 vast reservoirs for the support of their subjects in the wild forests of the Vanni. In the Wellaway Korale, 

 where this Pigeon is abundant, I have seen, as in the case of the two preceding species, large flocks in scattered 

 company returning in the evening from their feeding-grounds or from the widely-dispersed water-holes of that 

 district; and by remaining in wait for them in the same position, I have had excellent shooting. Both this 

 and the Orange-breasted Pigeon, however, are very strong birds, and take more hitting to bring them down, 

 especially when perched, than almost any bird of the same size in Ceylon. 



Doubt has been expressed whether Brown's figure of Governor Loten's specimen from Ceylon really 

 represents this species or not, and it has been thought that there may be some other Pigeon on the island to 

 which the title of pompadora was applied ; but Brown's account of the habits of Governor Loten's Pigeon 

 can, inasmuch as it refers to an abundant species, only relate to the Pompadour Pigeon ; it is as follows : — 

 " These birds are never seen on the ground, but always perched on high trees, generally the Warringen 

 grothebia, on the berries of which they delight to feed. They are good food, and often shot by the Europeans. 

 The natives catch them with bird-lime. In this maimer, says Mr. Loten, who was Governor of Ceylon, I once 

 found some hundreds, if not more, by break of day, sticking to the boughs of the great Warringen tree, and 

 sent a native servant to take them off." 



In those days the natives of Ceylon must have been more expert bird-catchers than they arc at the present 

 time. 



Nidification. — I was unable to obtain any information from the natives of the island as to the breeding of 

 this species. It pi'obably nests high up in umbrageous trees and at the extremities of boughs, easily escaping 

 the unobservant eye of the Singhalese villager. 



