282 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



travellers do not appear to have described the nidifica- 

 tion of this Dove, it would be all the more interesting 

 to breed it in captivity. 



With this species we come to the end of those sub- 

 families regarded as nearest to the Turtle-doves, 

 although, as I have already stated, T,f]ito//tila not only 

 has a general look of some of them, but takes more 

 notice of tht ;n itself than of other Doves (as though 

 itself claiming some kinship). On the other hand, the 

 I'lnblnce, -which Count Salvador! places next in his 

 classification, strike one as utterly dissimilar from the 

 Peristerinas, unless it be simply on account- of the more 

 or less metallic spots on the wings. Personally I should 

 have felt happier if the 1'lialihm had been placed be- 

 tween the Geotrygoninct and Calasnadinee. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



BRONZE=WINGED PIGEONS 

 (Sub=family Phabinae). 



These are somewhat stoutly built Doves, with spots 

 and patches on the wings, which are generally more or 

 less metallic; but it is not clear from Salvaduri's cata- 

 logue how they are structurally distinguished from other 

 sub-families of the /V/-/W'/-/<7/f. They are all Old 

 World types, but differ from one another considerably in 

 their bulk, plumage, notes, and disposition. The 

 smallest forms feed chiefly on millet, or millet and dari, 

 the larger ones on millet, dari, hemp, smooth cater- 

 pillars, insect*, and earthworms ; the largest will also 

 aercpt \vheat and maize, though they do very well 

 without it. 



HARLEQUIN OR CAPE DOVE ((Ena cctpcnsis). 



The adult male has the amerior halt of the head, in- 

 cluding the chin, throat, and centre of breast in front, 

 ><H! by a black mask bordered behind by a diffused 

 white band ; remainder of body above and two central 

 tail-feathers olivaceous brown, the outer tail-coverts and 

 these tail-feathers tipped with black; two black belts, 

 with a broad pale sandy greyish belt between them 

 across the rump; the lateral tail-feathers bluish ash 

 with a broad subterminal black belt ; the two outside 

 leathers with the outer web, from the ba.se to the belt, 

 pure white ; wing-coverts whitish ash, the scapularies 

 indistinctly barred with olive-brownish ; the inner- 

 coverts with large blue-black patches; primaries bright 

 mahogany-red with the greater part of the outer webs 

 and the tips black ; secondaries pearl-grey, dusky inter- 

 nally, the innermost feathers sandy brown ; breast and 

 abdomen white ; under tail-coverts blackish towards the 

 centre ; primary coverts and primaries below mahogany 

 red, tipped and partly bordered with black, secondaries 

 and tail below mostly black, the two outside tail feathers 

 with a white outer stripe as above, feet deep flesh red, 

 bill crimson towards the base, orange towards the tip ; 

 iris, chestnut-brown. 



The female differs from the male in having the facial 

 mask almost white ; the ear-coverts, sides, and front 

 of neck and crop pale ashy brown. 



The young nearly resemble the female, but the crown 

 and neck are banded with blackish ; the wing-coverts 

 are greyish-brown, banded with blackish and with buff- 

 whitish terminal spots, feet deep purplish, bill black. 



I lab., Tropical and Southern Africa, Madagascar, also 

 near Jeddah and Aden, in Arabia. 



This is a strange-looking bird, the head, when viewed 

 in profile, being almost square, or, as only the two. 

 upper angles are distinguishable, perhaps one ought to 

 sa-" that the crown is flattish and truncated. 



In Northern Africa this confiding little bird is met 

 with, not only on wooded steppes, but round farm build- 

 ings, hedges, and gardens. It nests from June to. 

 September, when it is seen in pairs, but at other times 

 in small fiocks. The nest is placed in palms, Parkin- 

 sonias, and acacias, being formed of a few dry twigs.. 

 During the breeding season the males are quarrelsome. 



The flight of this Dove is rather weak and undulating, 

 but graceful. In its wild state it spends much of its- 

 time on the earth, but in captivity it sits nearly all day 

 stupidly upon a branch, only flying down at regular 

 times to feed. The cry sounds like Hoo-roo-roo, the tail 

 being spread and jerked upwards at the same time. 



Messrs. Stark and Sclater (" Birds of' South Africa," 

 Vol. IV., p. 177) says : " The Namaqua Dove is a most 

 abundant and familiar bird in the interior of the 

 country, and is generally to be seen in the neighbour- 



UKAH OF CAIM-; DOVK. 



hood of farmhouses, probably becaiise food and water 

 are to be found in the vicinity. 



"From the dates of collection it appears to be prob^ 

 able that this Dove is only a summer migrant to tin 

 greater parb of the country, though apparently resident 

 in German territory and the Western Transvaal. It is 

 a purely ground-feeding bird and runs very rapidly, so- 

 that it was frequently mistaken by Layard for a rat ! 

 It feeds entirely on grain and grass seeds, and has a. 

 deep plaintive ' coo.' The males will coquet with any 

 female ifchey meet, and are described >by Layard as v-r\ 

 salacious. The nest is usually placed in a mimosa, not. 

 verv high above the ground, sometimes, however, on the 

 ground or in a hole. It is the usual carelessly built 

 loose platform of the Family, made of sticks and fibrous 

 roots. The clutch consists of two oval eggs equally 

 rounded at both ends. These are white, rosy tinted 

 when fresh, owing to the yolk shining through the fine 

 smooth shell. When blown they have a slight greenish 

 tinge. They measure .08 x -60." 



The Cape Dove is irregularly but somewhat abun- 

 dantly imported ; only, unfortunately, very few females 

 .eem to be .sent home,, so that I have never been able to 

 obtain that sex. 



I purchased two cocks in 1895, one of which died the 

 following year. When too weak to stand it rolled over 

 on its back, and my Zebra Finches had plucked all the 

 feathers from its under parts when I discovered it. The 

 second bird died early in 1897, so that I only had two- 



