ORANGE-BREASTED GREEN PIGEON 55 



and mellow — now rising, now falling, but never anything but soft and 

 full : never shrill, and never out of tune. Davison says that it has a 

 lower and more jerky note than C. viridifrons and a less-soft one than 

 vernans and fulvicolUs. 



I don't think they assemble in such large flocks as do some of their 

 nearest relations, and even where most common, small flocks numbering 

 from half a dozen to a dozen are most often seen, whilst flocks of over 

 a score are quite exceptional. It is not unusual, also, to see a single 

 bird of this species, or indeed two or three of them, consorting with 

 a flock of Treron nepalensis (the Thick-billed Green Pigeon), or with 

 one of the forms of the Grey-headed Green Pigeons, for although 

 quarrelsome, it is very sociable, and it would always rather flght with 

 a pal than be left by itself in peace. 



Its flight is much like that of the two Pigeons just mentioned, 

 perhaps not quite so fast or strong as either, but the difference, if 

 any, is so slight that it makes it no easier to kill, and as a sporting-bird 

 it is practically on a par with the others, whilst in beauty it ranks even 

 higher than they do. In Assam it always forms a considerable pro- 

 portion of the general bag at large shoots, being outnumbered invariably 

 only by the Grey-headed Pigeon, equalling in number the Thick-biUed, 

 and generally more numerous than the rest. 



