12 Catalogue of the Birds [Jolt 



Irides and orbits, lake red; bill slaty, at base above red, at tip bluish 

 white ; legs lake red. Length 16 to 18 inches. I have never seen this 

 bird with the knob on its bill as represented in books, nor have I heard 

 of its ever being present. 



285. — C. cuprea. — New species?. — Copper winged Imperial Pigeon. 



I possess a single specimen of a fine pigeon shot in the Wynaad by 

 Captain Pope, of the Bombay army, to which, if it be a new species, the 

 above name may be applied. It might be considered as the young of 

 the last, but its large size, and the testimony of other sportsmen of a 

 copper winged pigeon found in Coorg, lead me to suppose it distinct. 



1 add a brief description. Head, neck, and beneath pale lilac grey or 

 dun colour ; chin white ; back and wings brownish, with a faint coppery 

 gloss ; rump dark glossv cinereous ; quills and tail dusky black, the 

 latter tipped with cinereous ; under tail coverts, yellowish white. Irides, 

 orbits and feet red ; bill red at base, cinereous at tip. Length IS inches ; 

 wing 9 j ; tail 6|. 



Genus VINAGO, Cuvier.— Green Pigeons. 



286. — V. militarisf. — Hurriala, vulgo Hunva, II.— Common Green 

 Pigeon. 



This, the largest of its genus found in the peninsula, is at the same 

 time by far the most common and universally spread, frequenting not 

 only jungles, but groves, gardens, and especially the fine avenues of old 

 banian, and other trees that line many of the roads in the southern part of 

 the peninsula. It associates in large flocks, feeding much on the fig of the 

 banian, and various other fruit trees. When seated quietly they are very 

 diffictrlt to distinguish among the green leaves. 



Many are often brought down at a single discharge even when only 1 or 



2 were visible. The green pigeon has a high flavour, and is considered ex- 

 cellent eating. As there is some doubt about the descriptions of this bird, 

 which is represented as having red legs, and as Gould has figured as one 

 of the sexes of this, a totally distinct species not found in the peninsula, 

 1 here add a brief description. 



Head and neck, blue grey ; back of neck, yellowish olive, bordered by a 

 narrow band of blue grey ; chin and throat grey, tinged with green ; back 

 and wings olive green ; shoulders bluish purple ; breast and abdomen 

 yellowish green, mixed with bright yellow towards the lower abdomen and 

 vent ; under tail coverts reddish cinnamon colour, edged with yellowish 



