48 



ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, (CEYLON BRANCH.) 



1 14. Osmotreron Bicincta, Jerdon.— The Oran<je-breastecl 

 Fruit Pigeon, " Green Pigeon" of Europeans. Batagoya, Sinha- 

 lese name for all the genus. Treron Bicincta, Bhjth. ; Kelaart, 

 Prodromus Fauna) Zeylanica, page 130. 



Northern, Western, Central, and Southern Provinces. Occurs rarely 

 in Dumbara; tolerably numerous in Trincoraalee district; scarce 

 about Colombo, becoming more plentiful a little distance inland, 

 and towards the south, where it is (in the Galle district) almost 

 as numerous as Turtur Suratensis. It extends in that part, up 

 the valley of the Giudurah, to about 30 miles in a straight line 

 from the sea, and then seems to be replaced almost entirely by 

 the next species. This pigeon visits certain districts according 

 as its favourite fruits abound; common along rivers in south-east. 



115. Osmotreron Pompadour a, Gmelin.— The Maroon, 

 Maroon-backed Fruit Pigeon; vide Holdsworth, Catalogue Cey- 

 lon Birds, P. Z. S., 1872, No. 20. 



Northern, Western, Central, and Southern Provinces. Local in its 

 distribution through these parts. Common about Tr in com alee 

 and inland from thence to the Vanni district ; abundant in parts 

 of the south-western hill country, commencing some distance 

 inland, and extending up to 2,000 feet in the Hinidum Pattu 

 and Morowak Korale ; plentiful on the Kirinde Ganga and other 

 rivers of the Rataragama district ; occurs in the country round 

 Kurunegala, and in the wilder parts of the Hewagam and Pasdun 

 Korales. Layard found it in the central mountain zone, but I 

 do not think that it ranges about 2,000 feet. 



116. Carpophaga Sylvatica, Tickell. — The Green 

 Imperial Pigeon, " Wood-pigeon" of Europeans in the low- 

 country. Mali a Nil Goya, Sink. — Kelaart, Prodromus Faunas 

 Zeylanica, page 130. Carpophaga, Pussilla, Blyth.- — Layard, 

 Annals Natural History, volume 14, page 59?* 



Throughout the forest-covered and heavily-wooded districts of the 

 Island: more abundant below 2,500 feet than above that height; 

 common in the district between Anuradhapura and Trincomalee ; 

 abundant in parts of the Eastern Province and also in the south- 

 east, especially in the vicinity of Tissamaharama ; in all 

 the forests of the south west from the Kukulu Korale to the 

 neighbourhood of Galle ; likewise in the wilder parts of the 

 Western Province, between Ratnapura and Colombo. 



* Unfortunately the few pages containing Layard' s notes on this and one or 

 two other pigeons are torn out of the volume in the Royal Asiatic Society's 

 Library. 



