206 



Black-headed Sibias (/l/aiacias capistrata). I was fortu- 

 nate in procuring the only true pair among the five or six 

 specimens which our esteemed member Capt. Perreau brought 

 over this spring. It is a very handsome species, but should 

 not be kept with birds smaller or weaker than itself. They were 

 immature when they came into my possession and much paler 

 and less lustrous than the adult bird. At the present time they 

 are partially through the moult, but as this is not yet complete I 

 purpose leaving sexual distinctions till a later issue. A full 

 description of plumage was given in Bird Notes, Vol. VI. ante p. 

 242, and Mrs. Warren Vernon has also given an account of her 

 partial success in rearing this species in current Vol. ante p. 148. 

 They were very wild at first but are now much more docile, but 

 they cannot yet be described as confiding birds. Diet : Fruit, soft 

 food, and mealworms or other insects. 



# % $ 



Peaceful Doves (Geopeiia tranquilld). These have been 

 known for so long a period that they hardly merit a notice here, 

 but I do not think they have yet been described in Bird Notes, so 

 I give them just a passing notice. It was quite late in July when 

 they reached me and so far, beyond carrying a bent or two about, 

 they have not attempted to nest. Our esteemed members, 

 Messrs. Teschemaker and Willford have both succeeded in 

 breeding this species in their aviaries this season. The Peacefuls 

 have so far belied their name as to be continually sparring with 

 my old pair of Diamond Doves, and have been responsible for 

 the throwing out of the nest of one pair of their young and the 

 destruction of one clutch of eggs. They are very affectionate to 

 one another and spend a considerable time daily caressing each 

 other and preening one another's plumage. The display of 

 the ^ is very similar to that of the Diamond Dove. 



Description : Upper surface ashy-brown, each feather 

 narrowly edged with black at the extremity ; head and throat 

 grey ; breast, sides and back of neck grey, narrowly barred with 

 black ; abdomen and flanks vinous ; central tail feathers brown, 

 the remainder black broadly tipped with white ; primaries dark 

 brown ; bill and orbits bright greyish-blue, with the suspicion of a 

 greenish tinge; legs and feet parti-coloured, greenish grey in 



