Correspondence.



I 5 I



descended rapidly at a very acute angle till lie reached about the same level

from which he started and then he flew away and alighted on the top of a

larch tree about a hundred yards off and up went his tail as he poised

himself, which he did without difficulty on the thin twigs. The joys of

freedom, sweet freedom, seemed to have returned to him, for up into the

air he went again and again, and always in the same rocket like style

followed by the rapid descent to the level of the starting point.


No doubt this is the Crested Pigeon’s love flight, and in Australia I

daresays he will be often seen indulging in it, such as we see the Ring Dove

doing in this country'.


He amused himself flying as described and sitting cooing alternately

for the most of two hours, and then he began to fly r about lower, often

alighting on the thick branches low down on the trees, and once on the

house top, and now was beginning to look for something to eat. I shifted

the hen to several different places hoping to entice him down, and although

he saw her perfectly', and often flew straight as if he would alight beside her,

yet when nearing, never even checked his speed to do so, and he alway's

flew at a very great speed, faster than even a Rock Pigeon.


I noticed also he did not check his speed any' before alighting on a

branch, but flew arrow like to where he perched, throwing up his tail to

arrest his momentum.


When flying low his appearance was much like a Cuckoo and his

crest was always carried on his neck, but when he mounted in the air as

before described, he reminded me of a Pheasant, which, when flushed in a

wood, makes for an opening in trees straight overhead, but the great

rapidity' of his flight was what struck me most. Out of six species of

foreign Doves I have kept the Australian-crested is the only' one I would

call fascinating, but it has to be at liberty to see it at its best.


As night came on he seemed to get very hungry and alighted on the

ground to get some grain I threw down for the poultry'. I got a wire frame,

raised it up on one side with a short piece of stick and a pull line attached,

threw in a little hemp seed, and I soon had my Dove again and all the

experience into the bargain.


Two days after this a cock Canary' got out of the aviary and flew about

enjoying its liberty to the very utmost, and I was very surprised to see that

it delighted to sing vociferously when flying.


It took flights away out from among the trees into the open with

flappings of the wings precisely the same as a Greenfinch does. I have

kept Canaries in ail aviary with a fairly' large wire flight (16 feet by 9 feet),

and although there was ample room I have never seen them indulge in their

love flight with its accompaniment in song.



Gavin Alston.



