(i9) DUCULA INSIGNIS GRISEICAPILLA (Blyth). 



THE GREY-HEADED IMPERIAL PIGEON. 



(Plate 8.) 



Carpophaga insignis (part) Blyth, Cat. B.M.A.S.B., p. 232 (1849) ; id., J.A.S.B., 



XXVIII p. 416 ; Blyth and Wald., B. Burma, p. 144. 

 Ducula griseicapilla Wald., Ann. Mag. N.H., XVI p. 228 ; Hume, Str. Feath., 



Ill p. 402 ; Blanf., Avi. Brit. I., IV p. 22 ; Sharpe, Hand-List, I p. 66 ; 



Gates, Cat. Eggs B.M., I p. 86 ; Stuart Baker, J.B.N.H.S., XVII p. 970 ; 



Harington, ib., XIX p. 309 ; Cook, ib., XXI p. 674 ; Harington, B. Burma, 



p. 65. 

 Carpophaga griseicapilla Davis, Str. Feath., V p. 460 ; Hume and Da v. 



ib., VI p. 418 ; Hume, ib., VIII p. 109 ; id., Cat. no. 781, bis ; Gates, 



B. Burma, 11 p. 302 ; id., Hume's Nests and Eggs, 2nd ed., 11 p. 369 ; 



Hume, Str. Feath., XI p. 295; Salvadori, Cat. B.M., XXI p. 217; 



Stuart Baker, J.B.N.H.S., X p. 360. 



Vernacular Names. Hgnet-nga, Burmese ; Daohukuruma gajao, 

 Cachari ; Inruikuru gaherba, Naga. 



Description. — Adult male. Differs from insignis in having the crown, 

 fore-head, and nape grey, in some specimens quite sharply defined from the 

 vinous or lilac-grey of the hind-neck ; the rump and upper tail-coverts are 

 often more brown and less grey than in insignis, but I can trace no constant 

 difference in the plumage of the upper-back, scapulars, and wing-coverts. 



Colours of soft parts. " Feet a rich purplish lake red, claws brown, 

 paling at base ; soles whity brown ; corneous tip of bill pale brown, rest 

 of bill and gape the same colour as the feet " (Davison). The irides are 

 greyish- white. 



Measurements. The same as in insignis. Davison gives the weight of 

 two males as 1 lb. 7 oz., and 1 lb. 4 oz. respectively. The females do not 

 differ from the males either in coloration or size, but average about 1 lb. 3 oz. 

 as against an average of about 1 lb. 6 oz. in the male. 



Distribution. This bird is found practically throughout Burma, 

 north and south, though absent from the dry zone of plains in north-central 

 Burma. Harington records it from the Shan States, Hopwood reports it 

 from the Chin Hills, and it extends thence north into the Chittagong hill- 

 tracts. Hill Tipperah, and Manipur. In Sylhet and Cachar a few birds are 

 intermediate between this and tjrpical insignis but the majority are nearer 

 that bird. In the hUl-ranges of the Assam Valley typical insignis is found 

 and not griseicapilla as recorded by Blanford — ^possibly a slip. 



Nidification. The nest and eggs are exactly like that of Hodgson's 

 Imperial Pigeon. 



