(22) CALAENAS NICOBARICA (Linn.). 



THE NICOBAE PIGEON. 

 (Plate 10.) 



Columba nicombariensis Briss., Om., I p. 154 (1760). 



Columla nicobarica Linn., Syst. Nat., I p. 283, no. 27 (1766) ; Lath., Ind. 



Om., II p. 605. 

 Columba gouldiae Gray and Hardw., 111. I. Zool., II pi. 57. 

 OeopMlus nicobaricm Blyth, Gal. J.N.H., I p. 605. 

 Caloenas nicobarica Gray, List Gen. B., p. 59 (1840) ; Ball, J.A.S.B., XXXIX 



pt. 2 p. 32 ; id., Str. Feath., I p. 81 ; Hume, ib., H pp. 133, 271, 481 ; 



Hume and Dav., ib., VI p. 425 ; Hume, Cat. no. 798, bis ; Oates, 



B. Burma, 11 p. 299 ; id., in Hume's Nests and Eggs, 2nd ed., 11 p. 365 ; 



Salvadori, Cat. B.M., XXI p. 615; Blanf., Avi. Brit. L, IV p. 24; 



Sharpe, Hand-List, I p. 91 ; Oates, Cat. Eggs B.M., I p. 106 ; Butler, 



J.B.N.H.S., Xn p. 690 ; Osmaston, ib., XVU p. 489 ; id. ib., XVni 



pp. 201, 202, 359. 

 Calaenas nicobarica Blytb, J.A.S.B., XV p. 371 ; id., Cat. B.M.A.S.B., p. 238. 

 Calaenas nicobaricm Jerdon, B.I., III p. 480 ; Hume, Str. Feath., II p. 70. 



Vernacular Name. Lo-ung, Nicobarese. 



Description. — Advlt male. Head, neck, and upper-breast deep slaty- 

 black, in perfect specimens having a beautiful purple-blue sheen ; shorter 

 neck-hackles the same, but glossed with metallic green near the tips ; longer 

 hackles metallic blue or copper-bronze, but nearly all with narrow margins 

 of deep blue-black and dark green shaft-stripes. Upper-plumage from shoulders 

 to upper tail -coverts, lesser and median wing-coverts, and hmermost secondaries 

 brilliant metallic -green, but varyiug greatly in individuals. In some the 

 greater portion is a copper-bronze, in a few specimens becoming almost a 

 flaming copper-colour, whilst in a few others the copper tint is almost absent ; 

 shoulder of wing, greater coverts, and outer secondaries deep prussian-blue 

 with more or less of a metallic sheen and a varying amount of green gloss ; 

 primaries blue-black on the visible portions and brown-black on the inner 

 webs and concealed portions of outer webs ; tail with a few of the longest 

 upper coverts and all the lower coverts white. Lower-plumage from breast 

 to vent, flanks, and under aspect of wings metallic green, more or less marked 

 with prussian-blue. 



Colours of soft parts. " Legs and feet dull purplish lilac, bill greyish 

 black ; irides hazel nut brown " (Davison). 

 " Irides white " (Sir J. Ingram). 

 " Irides buff " (Layard). 



