THE PURPLE WOOD-PIGEON. 
289 
and paler on the back and wings ; two bars of black across the wings^ 
one over the greater coverts and one over the secondaries. Tail ashy 
grey_, with a broad black band near the tips the basal half of the outer web 
of the outermost feathers almost pure white. 
Bill blackish,, with a white mealiness at the base above ; irides dull 
orange; legs dull reddish pink. {Jerdon.) 
Length 13 inches, tail 5*5, wing 9, tarsus 1'2^ bill from gape I'l. The 
female is of about the same size. 
The Indian Blue Eock- Pigeon differs from its European ally, C. Iwia, 
in having the rump of the same colour as the back, instead of white. 
Mr. Blyth introduces this species into his list of Burmese birds, and 
remarks with respect to the Province in general, common, as throughout 
India.^^ It may, of course, and probably does, occur in Arrakan ; but 
certainly in Pegu, so far from being common, it seems to be altogether 
absent, for I have never even seen a specimen. The same may be said of 
Tenasserim and Karennee, where neither Mr. Davison nor Capt. Wardlaw 
Ramsay observed it. 
It occurs over the whole peninsula of India and Ceylon, extending west- 
wards to Afghanistan and eastwards to China. Dr. Tiraud records it 
from Cochin China ; but I judge from his remarks that he considers the 
birds he saw merely domestic Pigeons turned wild. 
This Pigeon frequents cliffs, caverns, old walls, ruined buildings and 
pagodas, and feeds on the ground in large flocks on grain and seeds. In 
India it breeds from December to April, and sometime-s later, laying two 
white eggs. 
Subfamily PALUMBIN^. 
Genus ALS0C0MU8, Tick. 
650. ALSOCOMUS PUNICEUS. 
THE PURPLE WOOD-PIGEON. 
Alsocomus puniceus, Tick., Bl. J. A. S, B. xi. p. 462 ; Jerd. B, Ind. ii. p. 462 ; 
Bl. B. Biirm. p. 145 ; Wardlaw Ramsay, Ibis, 1877, p. 147 ; Hume c^- Bav. S. F, 
vi. p. 418; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 698 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 109; Oates, S. F. 
viii. p. 167 ; Bingham, 8, F. viii. p. 196; Oates, S. F. x. p. 235. 
Description. — Male. Forehead, crown, nape and lores greyish white ; 
primaries and secondaries blackish, more or less edged with ashy ; rump 
and upper tail-coverts dark ashy ; tail black ; under tail -coverts dark ashy 
VOL. II. u 
