1845.] Drafts for a Fauna Indica. 857 



feet and a half ; closed wing, nine inches to nine and a half; and tail, six 

 inches to six and a half : sexes alike. 



" This fine species," remarks Mr. Jerdon, " is found in all the lofty 

 forests of the west coast, single or in small parties of three or four. 

 It has a single, low, plaintive note." Capt. Tickell, in his ' List of 

 birds collected in the jungles of Borabhum and Dholbhum,' states that 

 it is " common in some parts ; preferring the open and large- timbered 

 tracts. They are wild and difficult of approach, and go generally in 

 small parties of four or five. The voice is deep, and resembles groan- 

 ing." I have never seen it from the Himalaya ; but it is very abundant 

 in the hill regions of Assam, Sylhet, Tipperah, and Arracan ; also in the 

 Tenasserim provinces ; and the Asiatic Society has received it from 

 Java. A writer in the ■ Bengal Sporting Review' (No. II. p. 89,) ob- 

 serves — " The habits of this handsome bird are strictly arboreal ; it is 

 seldom seen but in the depths of the jungle ; is gregarious, like the 

 Hurrials, but is only a cold weather resident in the eastern districts 

 of Bengal, and breeds elsewhere.* It makes its appearance in Novem- 

 ber, and leaves towards the end of March. Its favourite food consists 

 of the bijer plum (Ziziphus jujuba), and a jungle berry, called by the 

 natives Anygootah. When wounded, it evinces more spirit than the 

 Columbidce appear generally to possess ; erecting the feathers of its head 

 «,nd neck, and buffeting with its wings the hand that captures it. The 

 note is harsh, not unlike the croaking of a bull-frog." 



There are several closely allied species : C. tenea, as figured (i. e. the 

 head,) by Mr. G. R. Gray, in his illustrated work on the ' Genera of 

 Birds', has a large round knob at the base of its upper mandible, of 

 which the Indian species never presents the slightest trace ; and a beauti- 

 ful specimen before me, from Borneo (?), exhibiting this knob, differs also 

 from the Indian species in several other particulars. f Another, from the 

 same region, exactly resembles the Indian species, except in its inferior 

 size, having the wing but eight inches, and the rest in proportion ; this is 

 doubtless the C. eenea of Raffles's list, described as " exceeding fifteen 

 inches in length" : so that, in Sumatra, there would appear to be closely 

 allied diminutives of both the Indian species. C. perspicillata of Java 

 and the Moluccas also approximates a good deal, but is readily enough 

 distinguishable. 



* Mr. Frith found a nest of this bird in the Garrow hills. 



t It seems to be the " Sumatran Pigeon, No. 12/' of Latham. 



