162 



ORNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 



webs of all the quijls are broad : and the peculiarity of structure is con- 

 fined to the points and begins with the 3rd or 4th primary, extending thence 

 as far as the secondaries. In Vinago, too, the membranous and soft part 

 of the bill scarcely reaches forward to its centre, the organ having double 

 the strength which it possesses in our bird. In Vinago, the tumid tect of 

 the nares is nearly evanescent : in our bird it is distinct, though less conspi- 

 cuous than in the Pigeons proper. Lastly, though Ducula, like Vinago, be 

 exclusively arboreal and fruit-eating ; the latter is eminently gregarious — 

 the former, almost a solitary. 



Species neiv. Ducula Insignis. Great Ducula, nobis. 



Habitat central and lower hilly regions. 



Colour and size : — head, neck, body below, and lining of the wings, 

 soft blue grey or grey blue; paler and albescent on the chin, and richly 

 tinted with vinous on the back of the head and of the neck; lower tail 

 coverts, soft buff ; quills and tail slaty black ; terminal l-3rd of the latter, 

 and lower back, slaty blue ; upper back, shoulders, and wing-coverts, 

 saturate slaty, internally, but merged in a brilliant vinous hue on the whole 

 surface ; bill and legs intense sanguine ; terminal hard portion of the for- 

 mer, and the nails, dusky horn; orbit skin slaty, merging in purple; iris 

 hoary or blue grey : 20 inches long by 30 wide: 1|- lbs. in weight. 



Female, a- fourth less than her mate; wants almost wholly the rich 

 vinous tint of the male ; and is, generally, more obscurely coloured. 



The following are the dimensions of a fine male : — 



Ft. Inches. 



Tip bill to tip tail, 1 8 



Bill, 1| 



Tail, 8 



Expanse of wings, ••^«' 2 6 



i'^^rsus, . . . . r ' IfV 



Centi^l toe, ^to 



Outer foj». toe, 1 



Inner ditto, , Ojf 



Hind ditto, Oi| 



Weight, lib. oz. 



[For sketch of the foot and bill see accompanying plate.} 



