14 Notes re Picui and other Doves. 



uest and ill the eveninj,' I found them on tlie hard floor, 

 and fearing that the Pheasants or Ducks woukl trample on 

 them or otherwise maltreat them, I fixed them up in a less 

 dangerous place but they would not sta}^ there long. 



August 2: Young Picuis again out of the box— parents 

 trying to go to nest again, llan Barbai-y taking kindly toi 

 the alien eggs. 



August 3: Young Picuis getting stronger. I have 

 again attempted to thwart their notions of nest building by 

 removing the nest basket, hoping they would look after their 

 youngsters better, but it would seem that once the old Doves 

 started nesting again, they think of nothing else, least of all 

 their progeny. 



August 4: A somewhat eventful day — the parent Picuis 

 again building, the hen dropped an eg^ from a perch. The 

 young Picuis, especially one, are very frisky and can fly.. 

 I picked them up and put them in a box for the night, later 

 they were both out again, one on the floor in the straw and 

 the other floating in the glazed sink, but cccpt for a thorough 

 wetting, it seemed none the worse, however, it died two days 

 later. I have iiow caged them in the small birds' house. 



Aug. 13; The old Picuis have another nest and are in- 

 cubating a pair of eggs. The sitting bird does not mind 

 one's CiOse approach, but, will not tolerate being handled 

 like a Barbary. 



Aug. 15: One of the Picui eggs under the Barbary has 

 hatched. 



1912: Practically no caoualdes during the winter, which 

 for 10 days was very severe. The Picuis^ four in all. looked 

 rather fluti'ed out, but came through the weather well. 



Presumably the two young Picui Doves reaied in 1911 

 are both cocks, for one has formed an alliance with a hen 

 Barbary, but, though everything went smoothly with them 

 and three clutches of eggs were laid in the respective nests, 

 all the eggs proved infertile— the strange point being that the 

 other Picui proved to be a hen, for she has laid an egg, 

 which she incubates intermittently. ytrange these two- 

 brother and sister— did not pair. It was rather ludicrous 

 to see so small a husband with so large a wife, and it is 



