PEA-DOVE. 309 



in general estimation. His form is plump, and 

 his plumage beautifully smooth ; though its colours 

 are sober, they are chaste and pleasing ; and the 

 aspect of his countenance, with his dark liquid 

 eye, is remarkably engaging. 



I kept several of these birds in a cage for nearly 

 a year, but they were too timid to be interesting 

 in confinement. They could not bear any approach 

 to them, without fluttering violently. They were 

 very restless, walking rapidly about the cage-floor 

 all day long, invariably walking over each other, 

 rather than deviating from their course. Only one 

 or two habitually perched. The Pea-dove has the 

 habit of jerking the head by quickly shortening, 

 and then lengthening the neck, immediately and 

 invariably followed by a flirt upward of the tail ; 

 this action my captives were perpetually perform- 

 ing at intervals of a few seconds, when not walk- 

 ing. They slept on the floor of the cage, but 

 were extremely wakeful. I have many times crept 

 silently into the room at various hours of the night, 

 taking off my shoes and moving with extreme cau- 

 tion, but always found them wide-awake ; perhaps 

 sensible of the light of the candle, even when the 

 eyes were closed. My servant, however, found 

 them asleep very early one morning, when they awoke 

 with a start : the head was not behind the wing. 



They were jealous of other birds, and, notwith- 

 standing their gentle physiognomy, irritable and 

 pugnacious. A Cashew bird that was a fellow- 

 prisoner, they would strike at with the wing, and 

 even if I myself suddenly approached, the wing 



