1 6 Favourite Foreign Birds. 



accurate, and handed down by successive generations 

 of writers, who lacked either the leisure or the oppor- 

 tunity to investigate this subject for themselves, as 

 veritable sun-pictures of which the fidelity was 

 indisputable. 



THE CAPE DOVE, (Ena capensis, also very fre- 

 quently called the Harlequin Dove, on account of the 

 black mask, or " domino," worn by the adult male, 

 is a pretty little bird, about the size of a sky- 

 lark, but of slimmer build, and with a much longer 

 tail. 



As the English name implies, it comes to us from 

 South Africa, and is one of the most desirable inmates 

 of the columbarium. Care, however, must be taken 

 not to lodge it with any of the larger or more pug- 

 nacious members of its family, by whom it would be 

 speedily killed, for it is one of the most defenceless 

 little creatures I have ever come across, permitting 

 itself to be bullied to any extent by birds no bigger 

 than a sparrow, without offering any resistance, or 

 even remonstrance, beyond a little grunt and a slight 

 raising of the wing. 



The general colour is grey of several shades, and 

 the male may be at once known by his black face. 

 These birds nest freely in confinement, but the young 

 are not always reared, for unless the weather is very 

 warm, they die as soon as the old birds cease to 

 brood them at night. They have not bred in my 

 aviary, where they were too much disturbed by other 

 birds, but have done so freely in that of a lady in 

 the South of England, who thinks them the most 

 delightful of Doves, " perfectly charming, but for the 



