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the larger quill feathers in the wing dark grey, and 

 the remainder of the wing covered with tiny white 

 spots very distinctly marked. These spots show up 

 very prominentl}'- on the grey background, and I 

 suppose it is from this that the dove takes its name. 

 The iris is blood-red, and the naked skin round it is 

 also red. In some specimens I have heard of both 

 iris and skin being greenish 3'ellow, but I cannot say 

 I have ever seen this colouring myself. The feet and 

 legs are delicate flesh colour. The beak is brownish. 

 Most people who have kept or observed this dove 

 agree that the hen is a much browner shade and 

 smaller than the cock bird. I have found different 

 specimens vary greatly, the blue-grey shade of colour- 

 ing I consider much the prettiest. 



My birds made a little nest, and sat in it steadily 

 for many days. I hoped they might have eggs, but I 

 was disappointed, for the nest turned out mereh^ for 

 *' squatting" in. The cock Diamond Dove looks very 

 pretty when making love to the hen. He runs after 

 her raising and spreading his tail like a Peacock, and 

 bobbing up and down as he coos. 



I never kept more than one pair of Diamonds at 

 the same time, but Dr. Butler, who had two pairs, 

 found them very quarrelsome with each other. 

 Indeed, I think this is the case with most small doves : 

 they are unwearying in their attacks upon each other, 

 if there are more than one pair in the same aviary 

 (and so7Jietimes are so cruel as to do each other serious 

 injury), especially in the nesting season. 



The Diamond Dove has been successfully bred by 

 several well known foreign bird keepers in England. 

 The eggs are white, and two in number. Bits of 

 grass, hay, heather, and the withered green of bulbs 

 make .suitable nesting material. Unfortunately, as so 

 often happens in breeding doves, the parents are 

 given to starting a second nest before they have well 



