294 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



two white, rather short eggs, of which I have only 

 brought one home; the second got smashed on the 

 journey." 



It almost looks as if Russ hud obtained his informa- 

 tion respecting L. ruf axilla from Burmeister's account 

 of the present .species. The species of Leptoptila have 

 certainly been a good deal muddled over by naturalist* ; 

 but fortunately the Museum catalogue lias disentangled 

 the confusion. Miss Rosie Alderson successfully bred 

 this Dove in her aviaries in 1904, and has published an 

 account of her experiences in The Aviciiltural Magazine, 

 Second Series, Vol. II., p. 273. Mr. Castle-Sloane, who 

 bred it subsequently, savs that incubation takes seven- 

 teen days. 



Apparently this is the Dove of which Sir William 

 Ingram gave eleven specimens to the London Zoological 

 Society in November, 1907, and of which Mr. Newman 

 possesses two specimens. 



BBONZE-NAPED DOVE (Leptoptila chalcauchenia).* 



Upper surface greyish-brown ; top and back of head 

 and hind neck leaden-grey, with .glittering bronze-green 

 edges to the feathers ; flights brown, cinnamon towards 

 base of inner webs, and with narrow pale edges to outer 

 webs ; centre tail feathers 'brownish-grey, the others 

 grey at base, blackish towards tips, white at tips ; the 

 outer feathers with a narrow white edge to outer webs ; 

 forehead and chin whitish ; throat and breast pale vina- 

 ceous, fading to white on abdomen and under t;iil- 

 coverts ; under wing-coverts cinnamon ; bill black ; feet 

 pink ; hides orange. Female doubtless with greyer 

 forehead. Hab., South Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and 

 Argentina. 



According to Hudson (" Argentine Ornithology," 

 Vol. II., pp. 144, 145): "This. Dove . . . inhabits 

 the woods of the Plata district, and never, like other 

 Pigeons, seeks the open country to feed. It is solitary, 

 although, where many birds live in close proximity, 

 three or four may be sometimes seen in company. It 

 spends a great deal of time on the ground, where it 

 walks about under the trees rather briskly, searching 

 fur seeds and berries. Their song is a single uninflected 

 and rather melodious note, which the bird repeats at 

 short intervals, especially in the evening during the 

 warm season. Where the birds are abundant the wood, 

 just before sunset, becomes vocal with their curious far- 

 sounding notes ; and as this evening song is heard as 

 long as the genial weather lasts, it is probably not 

 related to the sexual instinct. The nest is a simple 

 platform ; the eggs are two and white, 'but more 

 spherical in shape than those of most other Pigeons." 



Miss Rosie Alderson bred this species in 1904 (cf. Tfie 

 Avintltural Magazine, Second Series, Vol. III., pp. 133, 

 134). In November, 1907, Sir William Ingram pre- 

 sented three specimens to the London Zoological 

 Society, but this Lvptoptila seems not to be a common 

 one in the market. 



ORAXGK-WINGKD DOVE (Leptoptila ochroptera). 



Differs from the preceding species in its inferior size ; 

 it may therefore be regarded as a local form. Hab., 

 Brazil. 



I have found no notes on the wild life of this 

 Dove, but it is not likely to differ from that of typical 

 L. chalraiirftenia 



A specimen was purchased by the Zoological Society 

 of London in 1877, and another was presented in 1883. 



* The name " Bronze-necked Dove," employed by the Zoological 

 Society, has been for many years past in use for Zenaida 

 aunculata. 



WHITE-FRONTED DOVE (Leptoptila jamaiccnsis). 



Above olive, more or less glossy, according to th* 

 light ; hind neck cupreous red, glossed behind with 

 bronzy or golden-green, changing to purplish-blue close 

 to the mantle; flights greyish-biown, partly edged with, 

 whitish .on outer webs ; two centre tail feathers olive, 

 the others greyish-brown with white tips, the outer ones- 

 also with white edge to the outer webs ; shafts of 

 feathers pale reddish-brown ; forehead white, shading, 

 into grey on the crown and bronzy-grey on back of 

 head ; throat whitish-grey, pearly-white on the crop, 

 region, especially at the sides ; lower breast, abdomen, 

 and under tail-coverts white ; sides slightly greyish- 

 ibrown ; under wing-coverts, axillaries, and inner webs 

 of flights below cinnamon. Hab., Jamaica. 



Gosse says (" Birds of Jamaica," pp. 313-316) : " This 

 lovely Pigeon is chiefly confined to the upland districts, 

 where its loud and plaintive cooing makes the woods; 

 resound. The negroes delight 'to ascribe imaginary 

 words to the voices of birds, and indeed fur the cooing 

 of many of the Pigeons this requires no great stretch 

 of imagination. The beautiful W'hitebelly complains all 

 day, in the sunshine as well as the storm, L Rain-come- 

 wet-me-through ! ' each syllable uttered with a sobbing 

 separateness, and the last prolonged with such a melan- 

 choly fall, as if the poor bird were in the extremity of 

 suffering. But it is the note of health, of joy, of love ; 

 the utterance of exuberant animal happiness ; a portion; 

 of that universal song wherewith ' every thing that hath 

 breath may praise the Lord.' The plumage, as usual 

 in this family, is very soft and smooth, the expressiom 

 of the countenance most engagingly meek and gentle, 

 And it is a gentle bird : I have taken one in may hand, 

 when just caught in a springe, full grown and in its- 

 native wildness, and it has nestled comfortably down 

 and permitted its pretty head and neck to be stroked, 

 without an effort to escape, without a flutter of its 



" This is one of those species which habitually live- 

 on the ground. In unfrequented woods as well as those- 

 which are open, as those which are choked with under- 

 wood, the Whitebelly walks about singly or in pairs,. 

 picking up various seeds. About Content, a densely 

 wooded mountain side, it is very numerous in June and 

 July, feeding on sop-seeds, and many are taken inj 

 springes. The physic-nut forms a large portion of its 

 food, as well as orange-pips and fragments of the large 

 seeds of the mango chewed by hogs. Its flesh is gene- 

 rally esteemed ; it is white, juicy, and well-flavoured,. 

 without being liable to bitterness. 



" As it walks to and fro, it frequently flirts the head 

 and tail, but not so markedly as the Pea-Dove. If 

 flushed, it betakes itself to a low tree not far off, whence,, 

 if unmolested, it is soon down again. Often when seen; 

 in the woods it runs a few yards, and then rises' to> 

 fly, but as if trusting less to its powers of flight than 

 to those of running, alights again immediately, and runs 

 swiftly off among the bushes. It has no regular roost- 

 ing place, often spending the night on a stone, or a log, 

 or a low bush that happens to be near the spot where 

 it was feeding at nightfall. This is not the case with 

 the other Doves. 



" The aspect and air of the Whitebelly are unlike 

 those of its kindred. Its round head, the prevalence of 

 light hues, and its height upon the legs, contribute to 

 this ]>eculiarity. Essentially a ground Pigeon, its length 

 of tarsus enables it to run with ease and celerity ; per- 

 haps more rapidly than any other of the family. 



" Unlike the tree Doves, the Whitebelly usually builds 

 in rather a low situation ; often a logwood, a favourite 



