(2i) MYRISTICIVORA BICOLOR (Scop.). 



THE PIED IMPERIAL PIGEON. 



(Plate 9.) 



Columha bicolor Scop., Del. Flor. et Faun. Insub., II p. 94 (1786). 



Carpophaga myristicivwa Blyth, J.A.S.B., XV p. 371 ; Ball, ib., XXXIX 

 pt. 2 p. 32. 



Carpophaga bicolor Blyth, Cat. B.M.A.S.B., p. 232 no. 1436 ; Hall, J.A.S.B., 

 XXXIX pt. 2 p. 32 ; id., Str. Feath., I p. 79 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, 

 p. 496; id., Str. Feath., II pp. 80, 84, 96, 103, 114, 119, 264; Blyth, 

 B. Burma, p. 145 ; Hume and Dav., Str. Feath., VI p. 418 ; Hume, 

 ib., Vin p. 109 ; id.. Cat. no. 781, quint. ; Gates, B. Burma, 11 p. 303 ; 

 Everett, J.S.B.A.S. ; id., Hume's Nests and Eggs, 2nd ed., II p. 369. 



Myristicivora bicolor Bp., Con. Av., II p. 30 ; Walden, Trans. Z.S. Ins., 

 p. 217 ; Salvadori, Cat. B.M., XXI p. 227 ; Blanf., Avi. Brit. I., IV p. 23 ; 

 Sharpe, Hand-List, I p. 671 ; Gates, Cat. Eggs B.M., I p. 86 ; Butler, 

 J.B.N.H.S., XII p. 688; Gsmaston, ib., XVII p. 489; H. R. Baker, 

 ib., p. 761 ; Gsmaston, ib., XVIII pp. 201-2 ; id. ib., p. 359 ; Kinnear, 

 ib., XX p. 453 ; Hopwood, ib., XXI p. 1214. 



Vernacular Name. Kaluia, Car Nicobarese. 



Description. — Adult male. Whole plumage, with the exceptions noted, 

 white, tinted with the faintest and most delicate cream, generally more 

 pronounced on the head than elsewhere and varying greatly in extent and 

 distribution in different individuals. Bastard-wing, primaries, and outer 

 secondaries deep slaty, almost black ; central tail-feathets with a terminal 

 band of black nearly two inches wide, this band decreasing in width on each 

 succeeding pair of feathers until on the penultimate pair it is only about 

 half an inch wide, and on the outermost is seldom more than a quarter of an 

 inch, and often much less ; on the outermost pair also, the outer web on its 

 central portion is margined with black. The under tail-coverts are sometimes 

 pure white, sometimes narrowly margined with black on the longer feathers, 

 whilst in a few cases the black assumes the proportion of a broad band at 

 the tip of these feathers. Though the bastard-wing itself is black, the 

 shoulder of the wing is white. 



Colours of soft parts. " Legs and feet pale smalt blue ; the bill is leaden 

 blue, the tip darkish horny or dark plumbeous ; irides dark brown " (Davison). 



Measurements. " Length 16 to 17 in. ; expanse 27.5 to 30 ; wing 8.82 

 to 9; tail from vent 5.12 to 5.5; tarsus 1.10 to 1.3 ; bill from gape 1.4 to 

 1.5 ; bill at front 0.9 to 1.05 ; wings when closed reach to within from 1.5 to 

 1.75 of end of tail ; weight from 12 oz. to 1 lb." (Hume). 



Adiilt female. Similar to the male. 



It is extremely doubtful whether the creamy tint on this fine Pigeon 

 is not due principally to stains from the fruit upon which they live. It is 

 very irregularly disposed over the plumage, in one bird being most pronounced 

 on the back and rump, and in another all round the vent and abdomen ; but 



