THE CAPE DOVE. 247 



killed by the fall, or die from cold before their mis- 

 fortune has been discovered; or, if they escape such a 

 calamity and live to reach the age when the parental 

 instinct warns the old birds to cease brooding them at 

 night, they succumb to the chilling effects of the night 

 air on the very first occasion of their being left to 

 sleep alone, and it is only during exceptionally warm 

 weather that they are fully reared, that is to say, when 

 located out of doors in this country. 



Should any person feel impelled to inquire, Why in 

 such a case has it never been attempted to breed them 

 in the house ? I can only reply that possibly it might 

 be done, though, as far as my experience with them 

 goes, both personally and by report from trustworthly 

 sources, the Harlequin Dove has not made the slightest 

 attempt to nest when confined in a cage even of consid- 

 erable dimensions indoors, but as soon as they are 

 released and restored to comparative liberty in a garden 

 aviary they at once commence to build. 



It may be that in a well-appointed place where the 

 temperature necessary for the well-being of the young 

 ones could be maintained by means of hot water pipes, 

 or hot air flues, there would be no difficulty in rearing 

 them to maturity, but there are few amateurs so for- 

 tunately situated in this respect and the birds have to 

 take their chance without the aid of artificial warmth. 



Once they are acclimatized the Masked Doves may 

 be wintered out of doors in a well-sheltered aviary, it 



