296 



FOKEIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



into a wooded valley at Content, to look at a Partridge's 

 nest. As we crept cautiously towards the spot the male 

 birds flew from. it. I was surprised at its rudeness; it 

 was nothing but half a dozen decayed leaves laid one 

 on another, and on two or three dry twigs, but from 

 the sitting of the 'birds it had acquired a slight hollow- 

 ness, about as much as that of a skimmer. It was 

 placed on the top (slightly eunk among the leaves) of a 

 small bush, not more than 3ft. high, whose glossy foliage 

 and small white 'blossoms -reminded me of a myrtle. 

 There were two young, recently hatched ; callow and 

 perfectly helpless, their eyes closed, their bills large and 

 misshapen, they bore little resemblance to birds. 



"On another occasion I saw the male shot while sit- 

 ting ; the nest was then placed on a slender bush about 

 5ft. from the ground. There were but two eggs, of a very 

 pale buff colour ; sometimes, however, they are consider- 

 ably darker." 



Major Charles Bend'ire says (" Life Histories of North 

 American Birds." Vol. I., p. 155) : "Seven eggs of this 

 species are in the U.S. National Museum collection, all 

 taken in the West India Islands. They are oval in 

 shape, and rather more rounded than is usually the case 

 with Pigeon eggs. In colour they vary considerably, 

 from a pale cream to a ealmon-buff. The average 

 measurement is 27 by 21 millimetres. " 



Rusis observes : " From 1860 to 1875 this beautiful and 

 delightful Dove arrived from time to time at the Zoologi- 

 cal Gardens of London, and had already nested there in 

 the year 1863, and after that on several occasions suc- 

 cessfully. Iteiche, of Alfeld, imported it in a consider- 

 able number in the spring of 1886. I received a pair 

 from him for identification." " In recent times this 

 species has only rarely arrived in the market." 



In The Aviciihural Magazine, Second iSeries, Vol. I., 

 p. 251, Miss Ailderson mentions a pair which she pur- 

 chased iat from 30s. .to 35s. the pair, 'bult she says she 

 has since -seen these Doves offered (at ia lower (price, (but 

 is not certain that they were of the same species. It 

 is most probable 'that they were. 



CUBAN PARTRIDGE^DOVE* (Geotrygon chrysia}. 



Above chiefly cinnamon, with (bright metallic purple 

 edges to the feathers; these become duller and more 

 golden on the lower back, rump, and upper tail -coverts ; 

 on the wings only the lesser upper covea-ts haive purple 

 edges ; the primaries have brownish terminal margins ; 

 lateral tail -feat here, with 'brown dots near the tips, which 

 have whitish edges ; [forehead brownish -red, changing 

 to metallic green, shading to .violet on the crown, (back 

 of head, and nape ; a, -white band below the eyes and 

 throat ; reddish-brown cheek-stripes ; lower throat and 

 breast p-ale vinaceous tinged behind with greyish and 

 becoming whitish on the abdomen and under tail- 

 coveirts ; axillaries pale reddish ; under wing-coverts 

 cinnamon ; (bill red ; feet paile red ; -iiiides pale (brown. 

 Female generally duller, and with a. good deal of pale 

 brown on tihe wings. Hlalb., [Haiti, Culba, Bahamas, and 

 Florida Keys. 



According to Gundlach <(" Beitrage zur Ornithologie 

 Cubas "), Ithe halbits of 'this Dove nearly resemble those 

 of the " Bine-headed Quaill-D'ove," preferring rocky and 1 

 wooded (regions. He isays : " I scarcely ever meit them 

 outside of it-he forest. In Ithe densely -timbered portions 

 it may Ibe seen scratching among the 'leaves -for food. 

 It likes Ito perch on horizontal 'limbs, especially on 

 limbs of the zacsas. 



" Its rather doleful call-note resembles -the syllables 

 hn -up. ' The nest, consisting of a slight platform of 



* Or " Key-West Quail Dove." 



sticks, is usually placed on it'he top crown of certain 

 parasitic creepers found in 'the more open but shady 

 prioniitive forests. The eggs are (two in number, of ia 

 pale ochre yellow colour, and measure 31.5 by 24 milli- 

 metres. I found nests between the months of February 

 and July." 



Mr. T. H. [Newman mentioned this species to me as 

 having 'been, imported, and rafeirred rne to The Avicul- 

 tural Magazine, Second Series, Vol. VII., p. 39. Miss 

 Alderson's description of the " Black-bearded " or 

 " Spaniish iParitiridge-Dove " differs greatly from, that of 

 the present species, and would, 1 should imagine, better 

 accord with Giundlach's " Blue-headed Quail-Dove " 

 (Starnanas cyanocephala), but I am a- good detail 

 puzzzled respecting the identity of the Black-bearded 

 Dove, /which IMdss Alderson 'describes as rich Ibrownish- 

 maroon, lighter on the breast, cobalt bllue cap, and dairk 

 nieital'lic blue chin-bib, unless perchance dt 'is Starncenas 

 cyanocephala. Nothing is satid respecting metallic 

 purple edgeis Ito the feathers of (the upper parts, or of 

 the igreen shot with violet on the crown and nape 

 characteristic of G. chrysia, and I cannot discover that 

 any described species of this genus has a dark (blue 

 patch on the chin; however, G. chryaia was 'identified 

 toy Mir. Newman as in 'Mr. Astley'fl collection. 



MOTJSTACHE GROUND-DOVE (Geotrygon mystacea). 



Hind neck and mantle metallic green, becoming bright 

 purple on upper back ; lower back, rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, wing-coverts and inner secondaries olive-brown ; 

 primary-coverts and primaries cinnamon or coffee- 

 coloured, becoming brown towards the tips ; tail above 

 dark olive-brown, with the lateral feathers mostly cin- 

 namon, especially towards the base ; forehead brownish, 

 shading to brownish-green ; a broad stripe on the cheeks 

 and the middle of throat whitish ; a second stripe on 

 the cheeks brown ; front of neck and region of crop 

 reddish, shot with metallic green and purple ; breast 

 pale vinous, fading to whitish on middle of abdomen ; 

 sides, flanks, and under tail-coverts pale cinnamon, the 

 latter with paler tips; under wing-coverts cinnamon; 

 tail below cinnamon tipped with brown ; bill reddish 

 towards base, whitish towards tip ; feet clear flesh-red ; 

 hides red. 



I have come across no notes respecting the wild life 

 of this Dove, but it is not likely to differ much from 

 that of other species in the genus. Speaking of it in 

 captivity Russ observes : 



" In its entire behaviour this Dove is in the highest 

 degree peculiar. Although it is palpably a, Ground- 

 Dove, it is very fond of moving about high in the 

 branches or roosting there. Meanwhile it remains silent 

 for a long time, hunched up and motionless on a high 

 branch. When, however, it once raises itself it rocks 

 its body several times, and especially the tail, up and 

 down, scratches its eye or bill with its foot and begins 

 to move backwards and forwards, lifting* its feet high 

 and constantly swaying its body, behaving itself quite 

 like a Rail. Then it sees that fresh food and water 

 have been brought, and with two or three leaps it is 

 on the ground, where, with outstretched head and 

 drooping tail, it trots about thoughtfully but nimbly 

 between the food-pans. Now it begins to eat, and it is 

 certainly no Dove's meal which it consumes, certainly 

 not such a one as we have been accustomed to witness 

 in the case of other Doves. First a piece of raw meat is 

 tossed down, then it runs to a dish of hard-boiled egg 

 and bread and takes several morsels from it, it next 

 puts away some seed, then two or three red currants, 

 now again a piece of meat, finally a good drink of water, 



