DOVES IN A VERANDAH 133 



as before. A little search showed that this time they had 

 built a nest on the top of the same chik — a feat which I 

 should have thought impossible had I not seen the 

 nest with my own eyes. Some sacking was attached to 

 the chik, and this, together with the bamboo, presented 

 a surface of about half an inch. On this precarious 

 foundation the nest rested ; the twigs, of course, reached 

 over to the wall from which the chik was hung. Thus 

 the nest received some additional support. Needless to 

 say, the young birds had to remain very still or they 

 would have fallen out of the nest. 



The second and the third broods were raised without 

 mishap. One of the birds of the fourth family was more 

 restless than his brethren had been ; consequently he 

 fell off the nest on to the floor of the verandah. He was 

 picked up and brought to me. Although not strong 

 enough to walk, or even stand, he showed unmistakable 

 signs of that evil temper which characterises all doves, by 

 opening his wings and pecking savagely at my hand. 

 In spite of this behaviour I set natural selection at 

 naught by putting him back into the nest. He fell out 

 again next day and was again replaced. This time he 

 stayed there, and is now probably at large. 



When the fifth clutch of eggs was in the nest my 

 chaprassi, who, since I have shown him how to play 

 cuckoo, has been upsetting the domestic affairs of any 

 number of birds, asked whether he might substitute two 

 pigeon's eggs for those laid by the dove. The substitu- 

 tion was duly effected without rousing any suspicions 

 on the part of the doves. The young pigeons soon 

 hatched out and were industriously fed by their foster- 



