On Nesting of the White-fronted or Violet Dove. 395


This poor little Violet Dove had evidently suffered much

from the attacks of its companions on the voyage, for it was

literally almost featherless, and when I drew it out of the basket

it felt more flesh and bone than anything else. I have only once

seen a bird in worse plumage. Fortunately it was very strong

and healthy, and with care and quiet its feathers soon grew

again, though it was a little time before I could introduce the

new-comer to my cock.


The latter was looking very lonely. He would spend

most of his time sitting on a perch, his feet hidden in his

feathers, and his beak buried in his breast, giving utterance now

and then to a plaintive hoo, hoo, hoo . hoo, and then relapsing

into dejection again.


Very fortunately the last Violet Dove turned out to be a

hen ; and the joy of “ Narcissus,” (as we had nick-named the

cock,) when “Bessie” was put into his aviary was very great, and

he at once began cooing and bowing to the ground.


I pass over an account of my Violet Doves’ failures in

1902. Nest after nest was made and fertile eggs laid with no

success : every time my hopes were defeated.


This year the Violets began nesting so early that, by the

middle of February, I was obliged to tie them up a nest basket

(the nests had been removed during the winter) as one or two

eggs had been already laid and broken. It was either a choice

of doing this or separating the birds, and the latter course I did

not care to adopt as they were so devoted to each other. The

Doves sat well, and I began to hope for success, but was very

disappointed one day to find a gnawed and broken egg on the

aviary floor. The egg was very large and full in shape, and of

course, like most Doves’ eggs, pure white.


At first I thought I would take the Violets out and put

them into another aviary, but I suspected they might possibly

have a second egg, as they refused to leave the nest. It turned

out that this surmise was right. The birds continued to sit

steadily, both being generally on the nest together, for they were

so devoted to each other they would not keep apart. On March

4th both birds were off the nest, and on looking in it I found a



