208 INDIAN PIGEONS AND DOVES 



tried to express by the words " oot-raow-oo oot-raow-oo," and others 

 by the syllables " ku-krroo-ku," repeated two or three times. 



During the heat of the day and also in the early mornings and 

 evenings in Bengal they resort much to the mango-groves which are to 

 be found in the vicinity of most villages, and during these hours the 

 place is full of the melody of their calls, for they are by no means sparing 

 of their voice. When disturbed on the groimd they rise very straight 

 into the air for a few feet, making a great fluster and clapping of wings 

 in so doing, and then flap quickly away with tail widespread so as to 

 show the white on each side. Once weU off the wing-beats are few 

 and the tail-feathers less spread, but the flight is seldom continued far. 



A pair of these Doves once built in the verandah of my house, 

 selecting the top of one of the verandah piUars for their nesting-site, 

 and soon became so tame that they would not move more than a foot 

 or two out of the way of the servants and others using the verandah. 

 Both birds would come down to the table when the dish-washer was 

 carrying on his work, and feed on any of the scraps throwTi to them 

 as his duties proceeded. I noticed then that these Doves, by nature 

 almost entirely grain and seed feeders, would eat almost anything 

 thrown to them — bread, potatoes, cabbage, and indeed almost any- 

 thing but meat and fish. 



They were a most loving little couple, and in the rare intervals 

 when they had no eggs to hatch or greedy young ones to attend, they 

 always roosted close side by side on the top of the pillar next the one 

 on which was their nest. 



Cripps and others say that this bird never uses the same nest twice, 

 but this pair used the same many times, of course repairing it on 

 each occasion, but never starting a new one, though there were many 

 other verandah pillars quite as convenient. As parents both birds 

 were equally excellent and attentive, sharing all duties fairly, in addi- 

 tion to which the cock-bird was very attentive to his little wife, often 

 taking her up special dainties from the table below. 



They are very easy birds to keep in confinement, and though they 

 quarrel very badly amongst themselves or with other Doves, are not 

 so pugnacious with other birds. They are also much more active and 

 interesting than the Green Pigeons, and breed freely, even if kept in 

 comparatively smaU cages. 



The Indians feed them principally on suttoo, a mixture of meal and 



