on Foreign Doves.



J 05



pigeon had been bred there. Fortunately they had a bird to

spare. These pigeons never nested whilst I had them, though I

used to hear the male making a most singular cooing—more like

the barking of a small dog than a sound made by a bird.


This pigeon I found very quiet and good-tempered toward

the other doves in the aviary, but it is far too large to keep in

anything but a large space. I11 colour the Triangular-spotted

Pigeon is chiefly ashy-grev. The spots of white from which it

takes its name are very distinctly marked on the wings. There

is a patch of bare red skin round the eyes ; the irides and feet are

also red ; the neck reddish, the tips of the feathers being bifid.


The sexes seem almost the same in colouring, though

my cock was a thicker looking bird than the hen.


Habitat : Africa and several other parts of the globe. It

is very destructive to the crops in its native land.


BARBARY TURTLE DOVE.


Turlur risoHus.


This is such a very well known bird that no description of

it is necessary, for everyone knows its creamy coat and black

collar, but individual specimens vary, and some birds I have

had were much prettier than others. It is worth from one and

six to two and six a pair. I have a flight of these doves

flying loose in the garden. They always roost, summer and

winter, in the same trees, and twice a day come, as regularly as

clock-work, up to the front of the house to be fed. They all

begin to assemble as the tea hour draws near, and, being very

punctual birds, if the proper time is past, and no tea has

appeared, they all fly down together to the orchard, where they

know that at that hour the}’ will probably find my birdman, to

remind him and escort him back to the feeding-place. The

moment his steps tend in that direction, they all leave the

Blenheim orange tree, where they have been waiting, and form

a joyous advance guard, leading the way to the house. I put up

a cote for these doves, but they one and all despised it. Many of

them are killed by cats, or stolen, and several times they have

flown against the plate-glass windows with great force, and



