292 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



is probable that a male oivned by ilrs. Rathbone a year 

 earlier, and a pair belonging to the Contessa Baldelli at 

 Florence iu 1904 were also of this species. In 1905 

 Mr. Seth-Smith obtained five specimens, and in Thu 

 Arirultural Maijaziiu;. Second Series, Vol. V., pp. 

 51-54, he has published some interesting notes on the 

 Plumed Doves, illustrated by a coloured plate and a cut 

 representing the display of this species. In April, 1907, 

 ten specimens found their way to the Regent's Park 

 Gardens. 



AtrSTR.\Li,-iN Crksted Pigeon [Ocyphaps lopholes). 



The adult bird has the entire head, breast, and 

 abdomen grey, .but the crest on the head black; back 

 and rump olivaceou.s grey; upper tail-coverts greyish- 

 brown with white tips ; side.s of neck and breast rosy ; 

 small and median upper wing-coverts sandy-grey, the 

 outer ones pure grey ; each feather with a subterminal 

 black band : greater wing-coverts metallic green with 

 white borders ; primaries greyish-black ; secondaries 

 broadly whit« edged, the inner ones with their outer 

 we^bs metallic violet shading into blue ; two central tail 

 feathers brown ; the others blackish-brown, faintly 

 glossed with purple, blue, and green on their outer 

 webs, and tipped with white ; under wing-coverts 

 pale grey ; flanks brownish ; under tail-coverts deep 

 igrey ; tail below hrownish-black, tipped with white ; 

 feet crimson-pink ; bill olive-blackish; naked skin round 

 eye pink : iris orange. , 



The female resembles the male, but is perhaps very 

 slightly smaller; the young bird is also similar. Hab., 

 Interior of Northern and Eastern Australia, fi'om Port 

 Darwin and Port Essington to Southern Australia. 



Gould says of this species (" Handbook," Vol. II., 

 pp. 139, 140) : " It frequently assembles in very large 

 flocks, and when it visits the lagoons or river-sides for 

 water, durmg the dry seasons, generally selects a single 

 tree, or even a particular branch, on which to con- 

 gregate before descending simultaneously to drink. 



" Its flight is so rapid as to be unequalled by those of 

 any member of the group to which it belongs; an im- 

 petus being acquired by a few quick flaps of the wings, 

 it goes skimming off apparently without any further 

 movement of the pinions. Upon alighting on a branch 

 it elevates its tail and throws back its head, so as to 

 ■bring them nearly together, at the same time erecting 

 its crest and showing itself off to the utmost advantage. 



" I met with the nest of this species in a low tree, on 

 the gi'eat plain near Gundermein on the Lower Namoi. 

 on the 23rd of December, 1859 ; like that of the other 

 species of Pigeon, it was a slight structure of small 

 twigs, and contained two white eggs, which were one 

 inch and a quarter long and nearly an inch broad, upon 

 which the femade was then sitting." 



I purcha,«ed a pair of thi."? handsome Pigeon in 

 December, 1896. and shortly afterwards the hen laid an 

 egg on the eai'th ; but from that time onward, in spite 

 of every opportunity being afforded, 'no attempt at nest- 

 ing was made : yet the cock bird was constantly bowing 

 to her with tail elevated fanwis«, and the wings thrown 

 up over the back, the secondaries opening and closing, 

 so that, combined with the brilliant greater coverts, thev 

 formed a nearly perfect rainbow of metallic colour, s-e"t 

 off by the tail. As it bows, the male utters its mono- 

 tonous grunt-like coo, repeating it to each movement 

 of head, wings, and tail. 



The late Mr. Abrahams as.5ured me that my birds 

 were two cocks, and when I asked him how he accounted 

 for one of them having laid an egg, he at once turned 

 round and' .said thev miui?t be two hens. If they were 

 one of them certainly showed off to the other most 



indefatigably. I got tired of keeping these profitless and 

 somewhat boisterous birds at last, and, after having had 

 them neai'ly seven yeara, I sold them on September 26th, 

 1903. 



Probably no Pigeon is so nervous and wild in cap- 

 tivity as this, and yet it has been frequently bred both 

 in zoological gardens and by private individuals. During 

 the breeding season it is aggressive towards other 

 Doves, but I do not at all agree with Dr. Russ that it 

 is a dangerous bird to keep either in bird-room or 

 aviaiy. for I know no Dove which quarrels with birds 

 of otlier ordere, excepting perhaps the spiteful little 

 Passerine Dove. 



This Crested Bronze-winged Pigeon appears to 

 adapt itself to acclimatisation more readily than any 



'^»*»'J^I<,(U»^*"«*i^ " 



Australian Che.stkd PiGtoN. 



other, breeding freely at liberty both at Woburn Abbey 

 and ^ in Regent's Park. Whether it would be able to- 

 get its own living, if not supplied with seed, remains to- 

 be seen. There seems 'no reason why it should be less 

 capable of providing for itself than our native Doves. 



It is said to have been bred in the Zoological Gardens- 

 in 1859. and again in 1865, 1866. 1867, 1869 1870, 1871, 

 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875. 1876, and so on up to at least 

 1895. 



CHAPTER XX. 



GROUND DOVES AND PIGEONS. 

 (Subfamily Geotrygoninae). 



Most of the bird.s placed in this sub-family are of 

 robust habit with stout and rather long legs ; the wings 

 short, broad, and rounded, but the priima,ries distinctly 

 longer than the eecondaries. They may be fed in cap- 

 t'ivity much in the same manner'as the TurtleJDoves. 

 The speciets of P/i/o(?n;ni/s and ic«f0.sarc/n are essentially 

 ground biixls; that is to say. they spend much of their 

 time running aibout on the eart-h, not going there merelv 



