INCUBATION BEHAVIOR. 55 



At 6 h 19 a. m., Dec. 22, 1906, the female bronze-wing came off the nest to the perch 

 to discharge her load; this being done, she went back to the nest. At 6 h 30 m the male came 

 down to the floor for seed, but soon went back to the perch. At 6 h 32 m the male gave two 

 calls, but I can see no reason for it. The female made no response. At 6 h 34 m the male 

 was again on the floor trying to get into the next pen, running back and forth along the 

 wire-netting partition. He sees a green-wing (Lophophaps) eating in the next pen, and 

 this incites him to try to get through. At 6 h 39 m the male again gave two calls, nodding 

 his head strongly with each call as usual, and then flew to the perch with his landing call. 

 At 6 h 41 m he again went to the floor and to the seed-dish. I put fresh seed in dish at 

 6 h 48 m and the male came at once for his breakfast. On returning from my own breakfast 

 at 8 a. m. I found the male on the nest and the female on the floor. At 8 h 20 m the male 

 called three times and the female went to the nest and the male came down to feed. Prob- 

 ably feeding him early (at 6 h 48 m ) led to his taking the nest. At 8 h 26 m the male returned 

 to the nest and the female was again on the floor. The male resumed nest duty and in a 

 moment or two gave two calls which were not answered. At 9 h 26 m the male gave one 

 loud call. The female was still on the floor and gave no answer. At 9 h 28 m the male gave 

 one loud call, no answer; the female was tramping about. Perhaps the female's noise 

 incited the male to call. At 12 h 13'" the female relieved and the male went to the floor. 

 During this morning the male relieved twice : 8 to 8 h 20 m and 8 h 26 m to 12 h 13 m . Since the 

 female once held the nest only 6 minutes, the male's two times count really for once. 

 The sun rose on this date at 7 h IT," 1 , and set at 4 h 23 m . (R33.) 



On Feb. 12, the male went on the nest at 7 a. m. ; he left the nest at 7 h 12 m and car- 

 ried straw to the female. He took the nest at 8 h 50 m and came off at 9 h 06 m , the female 

 going on at 9 h 07 m . The female came off at 9 h 20 m , and the male went immediately to 

 the nest. At 9 h 37 m the male was off, but soon returned with a straw r ; he was off again at 

 9 h 42 m and brought a straw to the female, which had at once taken the nest. The male 

 resumed the nest at ll h 25 m and the female came off at ll h 26 m ; the male followed at 

 ll h 28 m , went back at 12 h 03 m and came off at 12 h 18 m . At l h 20 m the male took the nest 

 and stayed until 2 h 05 m ; the female went on at 2 h 06 m . She was relieved at 2 h 50 m by the 

 male, which kept the nest until 3 h 07 m ; the female went on 2 minutes later. The male 

 relieved from 3 h 15 m to 3 h 33 m , and the female went on for the night at 3 h 35 m . (R 18.) 



ROOSTING HABITS. 



Before the eggs are laid, both birds sit together at night; after the first egg is laid the 

 male sits at night as far away from the female as is possible. 



A male crested pigeon mated with a ring-dove took up his place every night on the 

 perch at the corner farthest from the nest-box where the female was sitting. Up to the 

 time of laying both were accustomed to sit together on the edge of the nest-box. The male 

 changed his sleeping place the first night after an egg was laid. 



This instinct seems to be general among all species. It is the more remarkable in those 

 social pigeons, like the crested pigeons and geopelias, which are so fond of roosting together. 

 To-night the female of a pair of G. humeralis has laid an egg and is sitting on it. Her 

 mate sits at the opposite side of the pen all alone. It would seem as if this was great 

 self-denial, for the two have been roosting together constantly and they appear to take 

 great pleasure in each other's company. The male sees his mate, makes loving little calls, 

 and adds those movements of the head and beak which seem to say "come here and I will 

 fondle your head." The female remains faithful to the egg and makes no response. The 

 male does not yield to his desire for his mate to go and sit beside her but remains at 

 the greatest distance possible. Does he have any idea of why he must deny this pleasure? 

 In the native state his action would mean that the nest is safer if he remains away from it. 

 But, of course, in a small pen of a few feet the distance is nothing and the sitting apart 

 has no sense. Something moves the bird to do thus, but what? Has his love cooled? 



