Nesting of the Caf^e Turtle Dove. 259 



visited him in his cage, calhng softly, " powee-powee-powee." 

 He came over, put out his lovely crested head and allowed 

 himself to be caressed as in the old days. And now I am 

 v/ordering if Craxy will recognise me when I visit him at the 

 Bronx next month ? 



♦ — 



Nesting of the Cape Turtle Dove. 



(Turtiir capicola). 

 By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



{Continued from page 2^4). 



Quite early in the present year I noticed the male courting 

 the female, and driving her about considerably; a little later I 

 noticed them together searching the different quarters of the 

 aviary, evidently prospecting for a nest-site ; still later I saw 

 them carrying small sticks about, but they were very secretive, 

 though I know one or two abortive attempts were made to 

 construct a nest ; then I missed one of the birds and concluded 

 that incubation had begun — pressure on my time kept me from 

 searching for the nest for fully a fortnight. When the oppor- 

 tunity came I took a good look round for their nest, and at last 

 I found it and then discovered that I had been passing it 

 closely daily as I went in to the shelter to renew food supplies ; 

 !t was about twelve inches above the height of my head. A 

 slight rustling drew my attention to it. A roof-standard, loft. 

 high, supporting the front of roof of covered part of flight, was 

 encircled by a dense mass (about I2ins. through) of Polygonum 

 creeper, at the height of 7ft., where the nest was placed, the 

 creeper had been trodden flat and thereupon had been con- 

 structed quite a substantial nest for a dove; the grow^th of 

 creeper was much thinner above the nest, but sufflciently thick 

 to conceal it effectually — the creeper grew thruogh the roof 

 netting and formed a dense cone above it, leaving it well- 

 sheltered as well as well-concealed; but for the movement of 

 the birds I should not have discovered it. A look into the 

 rest revealed two half-developed squabs, an ugly mass of pen 

 feathers; a week later they left the nest, fully fledged, robust, 

 but of weak flight. They spent two or three days upon the 

 ground, mostly in the shelter, where I saw their parents feed 



