PIN-TAILED GREEN PIGEON 73 



Sphenocercus ajpiciauda Gates, B. Burma, II p. 305 ; Salvadori, Cat. B.M. 

 XXI p. 5 ; Blanf., Avi. Brit. I., IV p. 16 ; Sharpe, Hand-List, I p. 55. 



Vernacular Names. Sang-pong, Lepcha; Daorep-galou, Cachari; 

 Lumha-dum Kohhila, Hin. ; Bor Haitha, Assamese ; Harial, Bengal Terai ; 

 Ngu, Burmese. 



The vernacular names generally used for this Pigeon are the same as those 

 used for the Bengal Green Pigeon or for the Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, 

 some adjective to designate its long tail being added. 



Description. — Advlt male. Whole head and neck bright yellowish 

 grass-green, paling on the nape and changing to olive-green washed with 

 french-grey, which forms a broad collar at the base of the hind-neck ; back, 

 scapulars, and wing-coverts grass-green, the feathers of these parts when 

 examined very closely showing very fine, but faint, vermiculations of a darker 

 grey shade which, however, are too indefinite to affect the general tone of 

 coloration ; rump and upper taU-coverts bright greenish-yellow ; quills, 

 bastard-wing, and greater-coverts black, three outermost primaries with 

 very narrow yellow edging, secondaries rather more broadly edged with 

 yellow on their terminal halves, and the innermost secondaries the same 

 green as that of the back with broad lemon-yellow margins, forming, together 

 with the yellow borders of the greater coverts, an oblique wing-bar. Under- 

 surface greenish-yellow, the breast washed with orange-pink which merges 

 into the surrounding colours ; flanks, lower-abdomen, and vent much darker 

 and with pale yellow-buff edging to the feathers varying in extent in different 

 individuals. Under tail-coverts cinnamon, the outer webs with broad buffish- 

 white margias. Whole under-wing surface dove-grey, axUlaries mixed green 

 and grey. Tail grey, dark above and pale below, the long central rectrices 

 often becoming green on the greater part of the long narrowed ends ; shafts 

 of rectrices dark brown above, almost white below. 



Colour of soft parts. Iris with an outer ring varying from rather pale 

 but bright salmon-pink, through brick and terracotta-red to an intense 

 carmine-red ; the inner ring is a bright pale blue. Bill pale bluish-homy, 

 often with a green tinge, the cere and basal portion more bright and blue 

 in tint, and the edges of the lids more leaden. Legs and feet bright red, 

 sometimes coral-red, often with a touch of crimson, and more rarely a 

 crimson-red. Claws homy-brown. Orbital skin a pale livid-blue to clear 

 blue. 



" lids blue, surrounded by a rim of pinkish brick -colour ; bill a delicate 

 pale blue or glaucous blue, feet deep lake " (Wardlaw Ramsay). 



" Irides, outer ring salmon pink, inner bright ultramarine blue, bill and 

 orbital skin bright blue or pale blue, corneous portion of the bill whitish blue ; 

 legs and feet crimson " (Davison). 



" Legs and feet bright coral red " (Davison). 



Normally the legs are a coral-red with only the faintest sign of crimson, 

 but in very old birds they become a deep lake-colour, showing by the rough 

 edges of the scales and the state of the feet generally the age of the birds. In 

 these birds, also, the outer ring of the iris is usually rather deep in tint, and 

 doubtless the coloration of the iris becomes deeper and richer as the birds 

 increase in age. 



Measurements. Length about 16 or 17 in. ( = 406 to 431 mm.) ; wing 

 6.3 in. ( = 160 mm.) to 6.9 ( = 175 mm.) and averaging over 6.6 ( = 168 mm.) ; 

 tail generally between 8 or 9 in., but running up to over 10 in. ( = 254 mm.) in 



