278 FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



rather expensive, but as they breed very freely and 

 always true to colour the price has declined materially, 

 so that they can now be purchased at a slight advance 

 upon that of the ordinary Barbary Doves, and it no 

 longer pays to import them. 



The first pair of these birds that I possessed were 

 presented to me by a friend when they were quite 

 young, indeed only just able to feed themselves. This, 

 however, did not keep them from pairing pretty quickly 

 and when the little ones were hatched it was amusing, 

 and pitiable, too, to watch the helplessness of the youth- 

 ful parents, which had not the remotest notion what 

 to do with the two poor little naked pink things that 

 suddenly made their appearance under their wings in 

 place of the couple of nice smooth white eggs they 

 had brooded so carefully. 



Of necessity the young ones died, for we could not 

 feed them, and it never seemed to occur to the inex- 

 perienced father and mother that it was their duty to 

 do so; and after their disappearance the little mother 

 became ill and was a long time before she regained 

 her health, even to a certain extent, the strain upon 

 her system had been so great. 



There is no doubt that these birds are more delicate 

 than the ordinary variety, but they are also prettier, 

 though the grey Quakerish common Barbary Dove is 

 by no means ill-looking. 



Any little flat basket, placed on the floor of the cage 



