HODGSON'S IMPERIAL PIGEON 101 



Distribution. From the extreme west of Nepal, Sikhim, Bhutan, the 

 whole of the Dooars, and the broken ground at their feet, the Assam Valley 

 and the hills north of it, the Miri, Dafla, Abor Hills as far east as Sadiya. 

 The Garo and Naga Hills running east on the south of the Brahmapootra. 

 In the Surma Valley, North Cachar Hills and Tipperah Hills the birds are 

 intermediate, most however in the first-named place being nearer the true 

 insignis whilst the Tipperah birds are nearer griseicapilla. 



Nidification. The breeding-season of this Pigeon on the north-east 

 frontier of India, from Nepal to Sadiya and the hills south of the Brahma- 

 pootra, appears to commence when the rains break, and to last through July 

 and August, but I have seen its nest containing a young bird in March, and 

 it is possible they have two broods, the first from February to March and the 

 second during the rains. 



The nest is of the usual description — a rough platform of sticks with 

 practically no depression in the middle, and measuring anything between 

 nine inches and a foot in diameter by some two to four inches thick. There 

 is no lining of any description whatever, though some of the smaller, more 

 pliant twigs seem to form the uppermost part of the centre of the nest. The 

 majority of the twigs and sticks of which the nest is composed appear to 

 have been torn living from the tree, but many also are pieces of twig and 

 stick dead long before the bird made use of them. 



As a rule the nest is placed at no great height from the ground — some 

 twenty to twenty-five feet — ^in small saplings, but I have seen nests as low 

 down as twelve feet, and one or two at heights of over forty feet. No attempt 

 is made to place the nest in a concealed position, and this with the sitting bird 

 can usually be seen at some distance. All the nests I have taken have been 

 in the interior of evergreen-forest, but often the site selected is one near 

 some natural clearing or opening, and occasionally is one beside some village 

 track. 



The number of eggs is never more than one, and though, on one 

 occasion I took two from the same nest, it is probable that they were laid 

 by two hens. 



The average of twenty-two eggs is 1.82 by 1.32 in. ( = 46.2 by 33.5 mm.), 

 the greatest and least long being 1.93 in. ( = 49.0 mm.) and 1.69 in. 

 ( = 42.9 mm.) respectively, and the same extremes in breadth 1.42 in. 

 ( = 36.1 mm.) and 1.26 in. ( = 32 mm.). 



The shape is generally a fairly regular ellipse, but some eggs are 

 decidedly pointed at one end and, more rarely, one end is somewhat 

 compressed. The texture is hard and close, with considerably more gloss 

 than in any of the Green Pigeon's eggs. 



There is very little on record about this fine Pigeon, Jerdon'a 

 interesting notes all referring to its subspecies, insignis cuprea — Jerdon's 

 Imperial Pigeon. It is an extremely common bird at aU elevations 

 between 1,000 and 4,000 ft. in the hill-ranges, and thence it is less common 

 up to about 6,000 feet, above which it is rare. It extends into the plains 

 adjacent to the hills during the cold weather, but will only be found in 

 places which are well forested, and have an ample rainfall. It is essen- 

 tially a forest Pigeon, and will not be found in open country or round 

 about cultivation. In North Cachar it was extremely common, often 



