ASHY WOOD-PIGEON 175 



when first leaving the tree instead of springing into the air with an extra 

 effort, as so many of their relations do. 



Although so noiseless, their flight is just as powerful as that of 

 any other of the bigger Pigeons, and the way they dodged in and 

 out of the trees when going at speed was really astonishing. 



The first time I ever saw this Wood-Pigeon was when finding one 

 of the Pigeon's nests referred to above. I saw the parent bird slip over 

 the side, fired a snap-shot at it and missed. I had a good glimpse of 

 the bird, however, and saw that it was something quite new to me, 

 so lying full-length and well hidden in the bracken I waited imtil the 

 bird returned, when I again fired and again missed. Hiding again, 

 I once more waited in hopes they would return, but it was not until 

 over two hours had passed that at last both birds appeared and perched 

 on the tree close to the nest and then, after knocking over one as it sat, 

 I was lucky enough to get the other as it flew off. 



Both these birds had been feeding on a small berry, growing on a 

 tiny creeping-plant which is entirely terrestrial in its habits, so they 

 must have descended to the ground to get them. They also eat aU 

 fruit, acorns, etc., especially the blackberries and raspberries which 

 grow in great profusion over the higher hills. The Nagas also teU me 

 that they sometimes come into their patches of Indian corn, but that 

 they are never numerous enough to do any real damage. I have also, 

 on one occasion only in November, seen them walking about in the 

 rice-stubble on a hiU-side, evidently picking up the rice which lay about 

 in considerable quantities. Another bird I shot had been eating wild 

 cardamum berries, and yet another had its crop full of tiny snails — ^Kttle 

 things, none of them as big as a green pea. 



They go about in very small flocks and sometimes singly or in pairs. 

 I have never seen a flock of more than flve, but it must be remembered 

 that my district was only on the fringe of their normal habitat, and 

 in more favoin^ed regions the flocks may nimiber more. 



I have seldom heard their note, which is very like that of the 

 English Wood-Pigeon — a deep, sonorous " coo," but I think it is deeper 

 stiU, and it is certainly more abrupt and less soft. 



