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on Foreign Doves.



pretty when he is displaying his charms to the hen, raising his

tail in a fan, and bowing up and down while he coos.


THE PASSERINE DOVE.


Chamoepelia passerina.


This is a pretty little short-tailed ground dove from the

West Indies, costing about 10/6 a pair. There has been so much

variety in the colouring of the different specimens I have had that

I find it rather difficult to describe the bird properly ; perhaps the

most commonly seen kind is of the shade of vinous pink, with

dark tips to the feathers, giving the bird a speckled look.

One Passerine I have just now (a cock) is of this shade, while the

hen has quite a brown colouring. One very handsome specimen

I once had was almost black. Of course the lighter the ground

colour of the bird the more distinctly the dark tips to the

feathers show. East year my Passerines made a very pretty

round nest of hay, on the top of a wooden bracket, and the hen

laid one egg. The Passerines were very important over it all,

and sat so well, that I quite hoped to rear a young one, as the

egg soon changed colour. The nest was in a very open

position, and thinking to screen it a little I fastened up a few

Scotch fir branches in front, though not in any way touching the

nest. I watched my opportunity and did this while the hen was

off, but to my disappointment she would not go back until I had

taken down the branches, when she returned at once. Just a day

or so before the egg was due to hatch, I saw to my sorrow the

cock sitting beside the hen in the nest. My hopes sank, for I

knew what it meant: he was eager to nest again and was trying to

persuade the hen to leave the one precious egg. He succeeded

in doing so, and in a few hours I had to admit the disappointing

fact that the nest was deserted. It was all the more trying as

the egg contained a very fine young bird just ready to hatch.


THE TAMBOURINE DOVE.


Tympa n istria tympa n istria .


For a long time I had wished for some of these little

doves, but it seemed as if I should never have the happiness of



