24 Pkacticai, Bird-Kekping. 



Tonnd the eye. A very similar dove in shape and colour is the 

 White-bellied Ground Dove {Lophophaps leiuogasier), the chief 

 difference being that it has a white band — as well as the black 

 and grey one — across the breast 



The Australian Chested Pigeon {Ocyphaps lophotes). 



A very handsome bird, but rather a tyrant in the aviary. 

 It is a fair size and well proportioned. In colour it is chiefly 

 grey, barred over with black, with purple, green and white 

 metallic feathers in the wings. The breast is pinkish-grey, and 

 a black upright crest surmounts the head. The Crested Dove is 

 very hardy and breeds well in captivity. Some birds are darker 

 than others and, as a rule, the darker the bird the richer the 

 metallic colours, but I look on the light birds as being far the 

 prettier of the two shades. 



We now come to the Ground Doves and Pigeons (sub- 

 family GeotrygonmcE). 



The Rufous Dove {LeptopU/a reicheyihachi). 



The upper parts of this dove are olive brown, the breast 

 soft rufous, while the forehead is whiti.sh, shading into grey on 

 the top of the head. There is a purple sheen on the neck and 

 shoulders. In shape it is stoutly built, with rather long legs. 

 The Rufous is a very good-tempered dove and nests readily in 



captivity. 



The White-fronted or Violet Dove. 



{Lepioptila javiaiceiLsis). 



This is one of the most beautiful of all the dove family. 



It is about the same size as the Rufous Dove ; the back is olive 



brown, the neck very metallic in lights of gold, green and purple, 



the forehead white, shading into grey on the top of the head ; 



the face, throat and breast pure white, with a patch of purple pink 



on each side of the upper breast, the shoulder butts white. This 



dove does well in captivity, but it is not often that young ones 



are reared. It seems to feel the cold, but not to such an extent 



but that it can winter out of doors if protection is given. 



The Red Ground or Red Mountain Dove. 



{Geotrygon tnontana?} 



This dove is getting increasingly rare. It is small in size 



and the sexes diifer in colour, the cock being rufous red shading 



to buff on the under parts, whilst in the hen the red is replaced 



