GREEN IMPERIAL PIGEON 95 



Jerdon says that they collect in small parties, now and then uniting in 

 flocks of twenty or more, but I have found flocks of anything over five or 

 six to be very exceptional, and single birds and pairs are seen quite as 

 often as flocks. 



Haripgton, in epistola, writes : " It is very common in Chindwin, 

 both upper and lower, especially the latter, where at certain seasons it may 

 be seen in hundreds, nearly always singly, or in pairs." 



Legge remarks that " though very shy when feeding it may easUy 

 be shot when wending its way across country in flights to drink in the 

 morning or to roost in the afternoon. At such times a regular stream of 

 these birds will continue to cross a road in the Eastern Province for 

 perhaps half an hour together, and they afford very good shooting. It is 

 well styled, together with all its genus. Imperial Pigeon. On the wing 

 when dashing into a forest glade in the Pasdun Korale or Saffragam, or 

 sweeping across an opening in the dense jungle of the Park country, it 

 is a splendid bird." 



In eastern Bengal, Assam, and Burma it is seldom that opportunities 

 arise for obtaining a bag of these birds alone, but when shooting Pigeon 

 flighting to and from their feeding -grounds, a few generally go to form a 

 portion of the bag. Colonel Bingham records having bagged over thirty 

 of these birds one day in July on the Salwin River, driving them back- 

 wards and forwards between a few ficus trees. 



Their flight is very swift though, unless the birds have been frightened, 

 the wing-beats are slow and thus give the impression of leisurely flight. 

 As a rule, also, they flight higher than the smaller Green Pigeons do, so 

 that often very few come within shot, though a number may pass within 

 sight. When starting from a tree or suddenly frightened into diverting 

 their course, the wings beat loudly against one another and make a sound 

 audible at a great distance. 



They are entirely frugivorous in their diet, and in the eastern and 

 northern portion of their habitat resort in large numbers to any species of 

 ficiLs which may be in fruit for the time being. They are also extremely 

 partial to aU wild-plums, the berries of the ber tree, etc. In Ceylon, 

 Legge says that it is " perhaps fonder of the berries of the Bo tree 

 (Urostigma religiosum) and of the Palu or ' Iron-wood ' {Mimusops indica) 

 than those of any other trees. In the south-east of Ceylon both these 

 trees are to be found growing by themselves among small scrubby jungle 

 and towering far above it ; and when in fruit Pigeon flock to them from 



