240 FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



young, walking about with the utmost unconcern on 

 the grass or on the footpath; one of them, indeed, 

 was so unconcerned I had to push it out of my way 

 with my foot. 



I am unable to positively assert as the result of 

 personal observation that these Doves divide the task 

 of incubation and that of feeding the young, but judging 

 from the habits, in both respects, of all the other 

 members of the Columbine Family I should say they 

 do, and that Mr. Morris was absolutely correct when 

 he asserted that such was the case, in opposition to, 

 or contradiction of, someone who denied the fact. 



At first the young Ringdoves are covered with a pale 

 primrose coloured fluff or down, and have their eyes 

 closed, the eye-ball being covered by a skin or film 

 that falls off in the course of a few days. When full 

 grown they bear a general resemblance to their parents, 

 but are duller in colour and lack the iridescent tints 

 that so marvellously add to the decoration of the 

 latter : they are fully grown when three months old 

 and are then much esteemed as delicacies for the table. 



Reverting to the dietary of these birds, I am able to 

 affirm that they, at least occasionally, eat snails, for I 

 have seen the molluscs (and not very small ones either) 

 taken from the crop of some of these birds that had 

 been shot in the autumn ; but I have no knowledge 

 that they "occasionally partake of a diet of worms" 

 as Mr. Morris declared they are in the habit of doing. 



