4 INDIAN PIGEONS AND DOVES 



and the following key to our Indian subfamilies wiU be easier to work 

 by in the field: — 



A. Tail of fourteen feathers ; 



a. Plumage principally green, with one or two con- 



spicuous yellow bands on the wings ; wings 

 always over 5 in. and always under 8.5 in. ; 

 soles of feet and toes considerably broadened ... Treroninae. 



b. Plumage dull, and greyish all over ; wings 



always under 5 in. ; soles of feet not much 



broadened ... ... ... ... ... ... Geopeliinae. 



G. Plumage various, but size large and wings always 



over 8.5 in. ; soles of feet not much broadened Carpophaginae. 



B. Tail of twelve feathers : 



d. Long metaUic green neck-hackles Calaenadinae. 



e. No neck-hackles : 



a' Plumage above dark and metallic -green ; bill 



red; wings »under 6 in. Phabinae. 



b' Plumage sometimes glossy and to some extent 

 metallic about neck, but in such cases the 

 wing is over 8 in. The other genera have 

 dull plumage with no gloss an3rwhere ... Columbinae. 



StTBFAMiLY TRERONINAE. 



This subfamily is very weU represented in ladia, no less than five 

 out of its seven genera being found within our limits. All five of these 



cenera contain what are generally known in India as " Green Pigeons " 



gomparatively small Pigeons which may be known at a glance by their 

 beautifully soft green plumage, often mixed with maroon or lilac on the 

 shoulders or back, and always with one, and sometimes with two, bold 

 yellow bars across the wings. By ear, too, these lovely birds may always 

 be identified as belonging to the Treroninae, their musical whistling-call 

 being quite imlike the coo of any Dove or Pigeon of other groups. 



The birds of this subfamily are typically perchers, living almost 

 entirely on the fruit of large trees, and they have the soles of their 

 feet curiously broad, being a great deal wider than the toes above. The 

 tarsi are short and stout, and are covered with densly growing short 

 feathers on the upper part in front. 



The genera, which agam are to a great extent employed as a matter 



