264 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



they do well upon a diet of white millet, dari, a few 

 hempseeds (especially during the moult or when pair- 

 ing), and an occasional small earthworm. The Zenai- 

 dina), or so-called Ground-Doves, chiefly come to the 

 ground to feed ; they have twelve to fourteen tail 

 feathers, the tail is either long and with the feathers 

 graduated, or of moderate length and rounded ; some 

 of them have the scapulars and innermost upper wing- 

 coverts spotted with black (ZenaicHra, Zenaida, and 

 Nesoiielia), others have the two first primaries emar- 

 ginate towards terminal third of inner web, the tail 

 rather broad, a white patch on the outer upper wing- 

 coverts, ancl no black spots on the scapulars 

 {Melopelia). Take it all round, it is a group which 

 seems to need definition. In many respects the genus 

 Lcptoptila (family Peristerida:) seems to approach 

 the Turtle-Dovesf though perhaps, in spite of its New 

 World origin, it comes nearer to Turtur than to 

 Zi iiaida. though I cannot help thinking it would have 

 looked more n:itural in the Zrnaidinrv than in the same 

 group with Z'ldogccnas. Happily it is not necessary 

 tor me to concern myself with its natural affinities ; 

 all X have to do is to follow the more experienced lead 

 of Count Salvador!. 



Sub'family Zenaidinae. 



Carolina Dove {Zcnnidina rarnlinni/is). 



Above bluish, but suffused with pale brownish olive, 

 e.\cepting on the top of the head, the outer portion of 

 the wings, and the upper surface of the tail, which 

 is slightly tinged with this colour ; wing-coverts and 

 scapulars with, mostly concealed, black spots ; tail 

 above blue, with black sub-terminal bars, excepting 

 on the seventh feather ; the tips, excepting on the sixth 

 feather, grading from white to pale blue ; the sides 

 of head and neck and the under surface generally pale 

 brownish-red. washed with purple on the breast, paler 

 behind and changing to brownish-yellow on the vent, 

 tibiae, and under tail-coverts; a black dash below the 

 ear-coverts; sides of neck metallic purplish-red; sides 

 of body and wings below pale clear blue ; tail feathers 

 below black, with the outer web of the outermost one 

 white, the others with white tips becoming bluer 

 towards the middle feathers, which are brown ; bill 

 black ; feet lake-red ; irides brown ; naked orbital skin 

 livid bluish. Female rather smaller, the breast greyish- 

 brown like the back, but paler; head and neck less 

 blue, and not so iridescent. Hab., " North America, 

 from Southern JIaine, Southern Canada, and Oregon, 

 south to Panama and the West Indies." (Salvadori.) 



Some examples have the sides of the neck more 

 golden than purple. 



J. G. Cooper, in his " Ornithology of California," 

 p. 513. says : — " They arrive from the south in large 

 flocks in March and April, and spread over the whole 

 country, even those barren desert mountains towards 

 the Colorado, where ,scarcely any birds are to be 

 found. I there noticed them in May coming from all 

 directions about sunset to drink at the springs which 

 are scattered at long intervals in that region. From 

 early in April to June their nests and eggs may be 

 found in various situations, on the ground, on fences, 

 stumps, large branches, and among the foliage of trees 

 and bushes. The nest consists of a few twigs care- 

 lessly laid together, is about 4.50 inches wide, with 

 scarcely any depression, and so open that the two white 

 eggs may be seen through the bottom. These measure 

 about 1.12 by 0.90 inches." 



The London Zoological Society purchased an example 

 of this Dove in 1861, and received two in exchange in 

 1886. ^ 



Martinican Dove (Zenoida aurifa:.) 



The male is brown above, with the head somewhat 

 vinous ; the sides of the head and lower part of throat 

 cinnamon reddish ; two steel-blue spots on the sides of 

 the head ; two patches of shining ultramarine blue 

 shading into violet on the sides of the neck ; chin and 

 centre of throat white ; breast vinous ; middle of abdo- 

 men and under tail-coverts white slightly washed with 

 vinous, especially towards the sides ; flanks, axillaries, 

 and under wing-coverts pale grey ; quills black, the 

 primaries narrowly edged with white ; the secondaries 

 with broad white tips ; inner upper wing-coverts, inner 

 secondaries, and some of the scapularies black-spotted ; 

 two centd'e tail-feathers brown, indistinctly belted with 

 dull brownish towards the tips ; the succeeding feathers 

 grey, with broad pale terminal belt, the outer feathers 

 more or less white ; tail below grey at the base, blackish 

 in the middle, pale grey at the extremity; bill black; 

 feet deep reddish. 



The female is rather smaller than the male, and has 

 juore restricted and less vividly-coloured patches on the 

 neck. The young are duller and without the neck 

 patches. Hab., Lesser Antilles and St. Croix; it is 

 frequently imported from Barbados. 



In the Island of ilontserrat this is called the Moun- 

 tain Dove. 



.\Ir. P. R. Lowe (27,e Ibi^, 1909. p. 306) says that 

 this Dove is fairly generally distributed over the 

 ishxnd of Barbados ; he does not, however, tell us 

 anything about its habits, nor have I been success- 

 ful in discovering any field-notes relating to it. There 

 can be no doubt that its wild life would closely 

 resemble that of /. oiirindafa. In captivity it seems 

 but little inclined to sit steadily, though often eager to 

 pair and build. I purchased a pair on May 6, 1898, 

 and secured a second pair by exchange on the 24th 

 of the same month, and I should say they are as 

 vigorous as any Dove living. When inclined to breed 

 they become extremely aggressive, the male bird 

 chasing and attacking even the much more powerful 

 Bronzewing Pigeons, and making their lives a burden 

 for days together. The song is soft and pleasing — 

 Domo, oom; oom. nmn. Early in June, 1897, Mr. 0. E. 

 Cresswell reared a young one of this species by putting 

 the egg under a Barbary Turtle Dove. I tried the 

 same thing on several occasions, but without result. 



When my first outdoor aviary was built I tried a 

 pair of Z. aurita with other Doves in the open, but 

 they did not attempt to breed beyond building a nest 

 in a small pigeon-pen with nest-pan. therefore I 

 brought them indoors again. I did not find this species 

 especially long-lived, partly, perhaps, because they were 

 much persecuted by other Doves. A female which 

 died in September, 1902, had developed a snow-whito 

 feather in one wing, which gave it a curious aspect. 



Six examples of this Dove from Union Island, one 

 ot the Grenadines, were presented to the London Zoo- 

 logical Society in 1873, and a great many examples have 

 been presented to the Regent's Park Gardens since 

 that date. It is not a rare species in the trade, 

 and formerly could be purchased at about 10s. a pair, 

 but of late years many dealers have raised their prices 

 considerably. 



Zenaida Dove [Zenaida amahilii'). 



Above brown ; upper tail-coverts slightly rufescent ; 

 innermost upper wing-coverts, scajmlars. and inner 

 secondaries spotted with black ; flights black, the pri- 

 maries with narrow whitish edges ; tips of .secondaries 

 conspicuously white ; central tail-feathers brown, with 

 an ill-defined dusky band at about the terminal third ; 

 lateral feathers grey with a subtenninal black band, 



