158 INDIAN PIGEONS AND DOVES 



have been, like those found by myself, built on small trees growing in stunted 

 forest-growth. 



My eggs vary in length between 1.34 in. ( = 33.9 mm.) and 1.64 in. 

 ( = 41.5 mm.) and in width between 1.02 in. ( = 25.9 mm.) and 1.16 in. 

 ( = 29.4 mm.). 



In shape, texture, and surface they are typical Wood-Pigeon's eggs, but 

 in one egg the shape is somewhat elongated and pointed at one end. 



This Pigeon has always been considered a bird of very high 

 elevations, i.e. as Blanford says, from 10,000 to 13,000 ft. in summer, 

 and from 6,000 to 9,000 ft. in winter. Doubtless it does often range 

 up to these heights, but probably it is also resident at much lower 

 altitudes. Ward says that it is fairly common in Eishtwar in Kash- 

 mir, and that it breeds in that district at about 8,000 ft. In the 

 Naga Hills it certainly breeds as low down as this, and perhaps lower ; 

 Stephens found it at 8,000 ft. during the breeding-season in Nepal, 

 and I have had it from about the same elevation in native Sikhim. 



In habits, as far as these are known, it is more of a Wood-Pigeon 

 than a Rock-Pigeon, being very arboreal, though it wiU also descend 

 to the ground to feed when there is anything to entice it there. It 

 assembles in very small flocks as a rule and in north Cachar more than 

 four or five were never seen together; very often it went about in 

 pairs only, and occasionally a single bird might be met with. 



Its note is easily distinguishable from that of any other Pigeon 

 I have ever heard ; it begins with a coughkig, jerked-out note, and then 

 continues with a deep double rolling-note which might be syUabhzed 

 as " whock-whrroo-w h r r o o," the third note more prolonged than the 

 second. It is a very deep resonant note, and can be heard at a 

 great distance. 



It is said to be fairly common in some of the pine-forests of Nepal 

 and Sikhim, but on the north-eastern frontier of India it is found almost 

 always in the stunted oak-forest which grows above 5,000 ft., and I 

 have never met with it in the pine-woods of either the Khasia Hills 

 or north Cachar. 



It feeds on berries, acorns, small wild-plums, grain, and black- 

 berries, raspberries, and strawberries. I have also shot them out of 

 stubble in patches of rice-cultivation, but they appear only to frequent 

 these when they are well surrounded by the oak-forest. The crops of 

 those shot in such places were always full of rice, often mixed with 

 tiny pebbles and a little earth. 



