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work whenever they came across it, by piercing it with their

bills and then opening their months wide. Mrs. Olive Thorne

Miller noticed this mischievous habit in the case of her Baltimore

Oriole, and I note that my Hang-nest divides all his food up by

the same method.


When the Brazilian Hang-nest is going to sing, he stands

high on his feet, throws back his head, points his bill straight

upwards and raises the feathers on his throat; then he begins to

make a regular clicking sound in his throat, or sometimes a

prolonged rattling sort of guttural note : then, clearly whistled,

comes the sound of Hookcirce, hookaree, repeated from two to

perhaps five or six times, followed by clear resonant notes some¬

what reminding one of the Virginian Cardinal’s song, the same

note being repeated perhaps eight or ten times, then varied to a

lower tone and again repeated. It ends quite abruptly and the

bird may not be heard again all day, or it may be heard at inter¬

vals of perhaps half-an-hour throughout the day. To hear this

bird in its native forest would be very exhilarating.


My bird has been the cause of my smashing several food-

saucers : it is startling, when lifting up a fresh-filled saucer of

food, to feel a sudden dig from a sharp bill on the knuckle of

your thumb: one cannot always bear in mind the length of that

bill, or the rapidity with which it can be brought into play. I

feed upon my usual mixture and fruit, with occasional insects.



NESTING OF THE WHITE-WINGED ZENAIDA DOVE.


Melopelia leucoptera.


By Rosie Aederson.


I.


I purchased a pair of White-winged Doves for 15/- in

1901. The birds were newly imported, and were in good

condition when sent to me. Unfortunately the poor cock injured

his head very badly on the journey. The crown was covered with

dried blood ; and one side of the bird’s face was quite pushed in,

though the eye itself was uninjured. It gave the bird a most

curious appearance, as if the face were quite 011 one side. It is

not a bad plan to tack a piece of cotton wool (leaving, of course,

the foundation outside and the edges turned in) to the top of

the inside of the travelling cage when sending Doves by rail, as

it prevents them injuring their heads by striking upwards.



