071 the Siiozv Pigeon.



205



the big White-throated Pigeons from the food pots when feeding,

and went on well, although it was plucked by a cock Crested

Pigeon on the head and wings rather badly soon after leaving

the nest; at first it used to give a squeak when pecking at

another bird, but it soon acquired the hiccough note of the

adults. I had not noticed anything wrong with it until I found

it one morning on its back dead.


The following notes will show how the young bird de-

velopes. March 26th, a young one hatched previous day was

covered with light yellow down ; bill dusky pink, with narrow

dark band near the tip; feet bright pink. When five days old

its eyes were well opened, feathers on wings, back and flanks

appearing, some downy ones on the latter part beginning to

burst their sheaths. April 4th, the young one was much grown,

feathers on wings, back and rump well developed, feathers on

crop, pale grey with buffy tinge, not white as in the adult; tail

just beginning to grow, but looks very short for the size of the

bird; primaries just beginning to expand; feathers on head

only just showing with yellow down on their ends ; bill blackish

with whitish tip; bare skin round eye and ear ashy grey; feet

dull grey with pinkish tinge ; iris dull brown ; general appear¬

ance of a grey bird with conspicuous white lower back. When

a fortnight old it was much grown, one bar beginning to show

across the wing ; crop and breast pale ashy grey, former with

buffy tint ; feathers on head still in sheath, but ready to expand ;

tail still short, but beginning to show beyond its coverts ; when

touched it snaps its bill and pecks ; utters a shrill squeak when

being fed by its parents. At three weeks the young bird was

much bigger, two black bauds now on the wings, on the median

and greater wing-coverts ; head dark grey ; tail growing ; the

white band beginning to show on the outer feathers ; crop region

very buffy-looking. April 21st, nearly four weeks old, bird now

well fledged, all the tail feathers (except the two central ones)

show the white band ; the pale grey of the breast now extends

round the back of the neck ; head dark grey, thickly covered

with yellow down; iris very dark brown; bill brownish black,

yellowish horn at extreme tip; feet greyish pink ; claws, which

are very long, dark horn, almost black.



