256 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



of the wild olive tree ; this is in November and Decem- 

 ber at Knysna, and in June, July and August near 

 Durban. At other times of the year they appear to 

 be dispersed about solitary or in pairs. They build 

 the usual loose nest of sticks in trees, usually in moun- 

 tain ravines, and lay two white eggs, measuring about 

 1.5 by 1.12. Atmore found nests in the top of 

 tree ferns in the mountain ravines near Blanco in the 

 George district, and Layard states that he was informed 

 that they laid four eggs, only two of which hatched out. 

 On the other hand, Major Sparrow tells me that, as a 

 rule, only one egg is laid and hatched, and that this 

 is somewhat rounded, and of a pale greenish tinge." 



The Messrs. Woodward, writing on the birds of 

 Zululand (Thf Ibis, 1898, p. 217), say : " Here we 

 found plenty of pigeons in the trees. Of these Columba 

 arquatrix is a fine bird, 13 in. in length, with bright 

 yellow bill and legs, and, from its dark plumage, is 

 popularly known as the 'Black Pigeon.' It seems to 

 confine itself to the woods. We see more of them in 

 the winter, when the berries are ripe ; we have noticed 

 tree-seeds in individuals killed." 



Dr. S. L. Hinde, in a paper on birds observed near 

 Machako's Station (The Ibis, 1898, p. 587), says of 

 this species : "Very wild; common on bushy hills, but 

 hard to get near." 



Lord Lovat. speaking of it as observed in Abyssinia 

 (The, Ibis, 1900, p. 332), says : "Iris orange-red; bill, 

 eyelids, and legs light yellow. 



" The only two occasions on which we came across 

 this pigeon was in thick forest. The food found in 

 the crop consisted of berries, which it obtains by 

 climbing about among the branches. It appeared to 

 move about in the trees with greater ease than is 

 usual among birds of this kind." 



Lieut. -Ool. W. H. Manning states that in Nyaraaland 

 the native name of this bird is " Kilanganjuna " (The 

 /&/>. 1901, p. 593). 



Mr. F. J. Jackson, who met with it in the Toro 

 forest during a journey to the Ruwenzori range, says 

 (The Ibis, 1906, p. 508): "Iris light greyish-green; 

 bare skin round eye lemon-yellow, suffused with pink ; 

 bill light brown ; feet lemon-yellow. 



" Fairly common in the forest." 



It will be seen that here again the colouring of the 

 soft parts varies with locality, showing the initial steps 

 towards a sub-division of the species. 



The first example of this bird to reach the London 

 Zoological Society's Gardens was purchased in 1864 ; 

 the Amsterdam Gardens received a pair in 1891 ; and 

 Russ tells us that during recent years a fair number has 

 been imported into the German market. 



WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON (Columba leucocephala). 



The adult male is chiefly leaden-grey, deeper above 

 than below ; the crown white, bordered behind with 

 grey ; the nape deep maroon ; behind this a bronze- 

 green mantle, each feather of which has a velvet black 

 border, extending on to the sides of the neck ; back 

 faintly glossed with blue ; quills and tail-feathers slaty- 

 black, the former with linear whitish margins ; bill 

 dull greenish-white, with carmine cere ; feet dull red, 

 with carmine scales ; naked skin round eyes powdered 

 with white, eyelids with red edges ; iris pale buffish- 

 white. 



The female is smaller and duller than the male, the 

 crown of the head greyish ; and the young are greyish- 

 brown, with whitish foi'eheads and brown iris, accord- 

 ing to Gundlach. Hab., Southern North America and 

 the West Indies. 



In Cuba it is a very common resident species, occur- 



ring in all the forests throughout the year, but when 

 the berries are ripe which form its favourite food 

 immense flocks collect to devour them. 



Being eminently gregarious, considerable numbers 

 nast on the same tree ; nidification appears to take 

 place in May or June, according to the habitat in which 

 this species may be observed, and by July the woods 

 abound with the young birds. As usual, the eggs are 

 two in number, and pure white. The call of the bird 

 is described as tuhu-tu-tutu. 



In the Bahamas Mr. J. L. Bonhote found this pigeon 

 " very abundant at certain seasons, especially during 

 July and August; they were to be found only in the 

 pine woods far from the setlements " (The Ibis, 1899, 

 p. 517). 



In The Ibis for 1903, p. 298, he says : "A resident, 

 not very numerous during the winter. It breeds in 

 large numbers in some of the outlying cays, flying ten 

 or twenty miles to the mainland for its food. The 

 breeding season is late, not commencing till June." 



Writing respecting birds collected in the Swan 

 Islands, Caribbean Sea (The Ibis, 1909, p. 332), Mr. 

 P. R. Lowe says: "This is a common and well- 

 established species. It breeds on both islands, and is 

 not nearly so shy as such pigeons usually are. On the 

 eastern island it is, in fact, almost confiding, and I 

 shot six or seven specimens with a small collecting 

 gun in less than half an hour. 



" Colours of soft parts in the fresh state : Iris 

 white or creamy-white ; Circumorbital bare space white 

 on a pinkish background, which here and there shows 

 through the white ; base of mandible and maxilla dull 

 crimson-lake, dull crimson, or dark brownish-purple, 

 according to age ; tip of bill pale greenish- white, 

 horny-white, or pearly-green ; feet and tarsi bright 

 crimson, claws brown." 



Gosse states that "incubation takes place chiefly in 

 the months of June and July. In Bluefields morass 

 many nests are found on the tallest black mangroves, 

 and are much robbed by the negro youths, who rear the 

 young for sale, the native pigeons being, more than any 

 other birds, kept in cages by the Creoles. The nest is 

 merely a very slight platform of dry twigs, rudely 

 attached, on which two eggs are laid" ("Birds of 

 Jamaica," p. 301). 



The London Zoological Society first acquired this 

 pigeon in 1865, and in 1866 two pairs were added by 

 presentation and bred one young one the same year ; 

 in 1867 a second example was bred in July, two in 

 August, and one in December. The species has been 

 continually on exhibition ever since, four examples 

 having been added as lately as 1904. 



Mr. Seth-Smith bred this species in his aviaries in 

 1902 (see The Avicultural Magazine, First Series, Vol. 

 VIII., pp. 287-289, with illustration). 



PORTO Rico PIGEON (Columba squamosa). 



The prevailing colour of the adult male is leaden-grey, 

 very slightly paler below than above-; but the head, 

 neck and throat are wine-reddish ; the nape and a 

 cape which extends over the sides of the neck, metallic 

 violet, each feather bordered with velvety maroon ; the 

 flights have narrow pale margins and the tail is dark 

 slate-coloured ; bill crimson-lake, tipped with yellowish- 

 white ; feet lake-red ; skin round eyes dull red dusted 

 with yellow ; iris with an inner scarlet ring and a nar- 

 rower outer yellow one. The female is a little smaller 

 and duller than the male, and the young are brown, 

 with reddish-chestnut tip to the feathers. Hab., on 

 many of the West Indian Islands, but not Jamaica or 

 Bahamas. 



This is said to be essentially an arboreal species, 



