TAME DOVES. 99 



comfort of the home would be improved by some 

 softer material than interlacing twigs, so I added 

 a carpet of fine soft shavings ; these also were 

 quite approved, and after a time the nest was 

 considered perfect. I felt inclined to call it our 

 nest, as I provided the materials and was allowed 

 to help in the building. 



Two snowy eggs soon appeared, and then the 

 parents took it by turns to sit upon the nest for 

 about four hours at a time. This should teach 

 us a beautiful lesson of unselfishness, for it must 

 seem a little hard to have to sit still hour after 

 hour and see another bird able to fly about 

 enjoying the air and sunshine. I think my dove 

 was well named Patience, but doubtless the 

 strong feeling of mother-love made it easy, and 

 the affectionate little father-bird seemed always 

 ready to take his turn in the domestic duties. 



The first heavy shower after the nest was 

 built made me rather anxious for the comfort 

 of the sitting bird ; she would soon have been 

 soaked with rain, so I racked my wits to devise a 

 shelter. With some contrivance I managed to 

 fix a slanting roof of stiff cardboard so as to keep 



