PINK-NECKED GREEN PIGEON 61 



five feet from the groiuid." The eggs found by Davison measured 1.15 in. 

 in length by .81 and .82 in breadth respectively. Two other eggs found in 

 Kussoom in the Malay Peninsula measured 1.11 in. by .86 and 1.05 by .85 

 in breadth. 



I have had a fair series of these eggs sent me : a few from southern 

 Tenasserim taken in June and July after the rainy season had well set in 

 and a number from the Malay Peninsula which were all taken in the months 

 January to March. It seems probable, therefore, that the majority breed 

 during the first three months of the year, though others — ^these may be 

 second broods — continue to breed until well on into July. 



My eggs are decidedly small in comparison with the bird's size, sixteen 

 only averaging 1.08 in. by .85 ( = 27.4 by 21.6 mm.). The longest and 

 broadest eggs are 1.14 ( = 28.8 mm.) by .88 ( = 22.3 mm.) respectively, and 

 the shortest and most narrow 1.03 ( = 26.2 mm.) and .80 ( = 20.3 mm.). 



The six eggs in the British Museum Catalogue vary from 1.08 in. to 

 1.12 in length and from .8 to .88 in breadth. 



According to Davidson, this beautiful little Pigeon is an inhabitant 

 of the denser forests only, being seldom found in thin jungle or in close 

 proximity to villages and gardens. They appear to go about in smalE 

 parties, as a rule of only six or eight members, though in some places 

 they collect in enormous numbers to feed or roost. 



Major H. R. Baker notes that " these birds roost in enormous 

 numbers on the small mangrove-covered islands which are dotted about 

 the North of the Johore river. Here sportsmen betake themselves 

 in July and August, and stationing guns round an island await the 

 flighting in the early morning and evening ; in this way bags of several 

 hundreds of birds are sometimes made." 



In a letter to me Major Baker gives the following interesting 

 account of one of these shoots : " The Pink-necked Green Pigeon is 

 extremely common in Johore, Singapore and other parts of the Malay 

 Peninsula, and forms a very favourite object of shooting from July 

 to September, and one of these battues, though not a successful one, 

 I wUl try to describe to you. 



" We had received word that the Pigeons had commenced to 

 flight, a sure indication that the breeding-season had flnished, and 

 that the young ones had joined the old birds in the morning and 

 evening flight to and from the feeding-ground. It was with pleasur- 

 able anticipation, therefore, that 0. and I hurried down one morning 

 to the wharf at Singapore, with beds, kits, guns and food, at the 

 invitation of our friend the doctor who had offered to take us in his 

 launch to one of the roosting-places, a mud island in the Johore river, 

 thickly covered with mangrove trees. We started early for the sea. 



