the gtli apparentlj'^ went to 'roost 'on a box beside hiy cock'-''

Nicobar Pigeon, and had its bill split into fine splinters. ' In the.'-

na,Qrning it was. dead; beside the. box. ,., ■ . - : "


By this time the older " squeaker" had acquired its full"

l^tigth'of tail, and wa.s clearly seen to be 'a. young Necldaced .

Dove (of course with ho trace of the whitie-spotted collar, which.'

does not appear until later), then the wet nights gave it cramp,"

it became helpless, broiichitic, and on the 17th September it died. '•"


This bird being in its first plumage, and therefore some-

what younger than those described by, Count Salvadori, it is

worth while to note its colouring :— Forehead and cheeks „

whitish ash ; crown and mantle ash-gre}^ all the feathers more .

or less broadly fringed with vinaceous brown ; back vinaceous

brown in front ; lower back and rump ashy-grej^ with smoky

tips to all the feathers. I^esser wing-coverts mostly vinaceous ;

brown with blackish shaft-streaks, but the outer ones white witk.;

blackish streaks, and the bend of the wing pure white ; Quter"

primary co\^erts ashy with blackish shaft-streaks ; outer median

atid secondarj" coverts whitish ash, with white outer borders ; ^

remaining coverts smoky brown, washed exteriially v^ith vina- ■

ceous, and with blackish streaks ; primaries blackish, the second, .

third and fourth emarginate, and white-edged externally bej^on'd'

the middle ; the remainder liarrowly from beyond the middle on.;

both sides with rufous-brown ; outer secondaries blackish, ;

edged exterirall)^ towards the tips with white ; inner secondaries;

vihaceous with black shafts, edges clearer rufous-brown ;' two ^

central tail-feathers smoky-brown, remaining- feathers black, the'

three outer ones on each side broadly tipped' with white ; chin

and front of the throat white gradualh^ passing into vinaceous -

lavender on the breast, becoming paler and more buff-tinted on -

the abdomen 'and flanks and chalky white on the vent and under-

tail-covertSv Bill dark leaden-grey; feet dark flesh-pink ; iris

pale straw-yellow. . .:


About the middle of September and before the death of '

the second of the two j^oung birds (both of which proved to be"

males) I fixed up a series of pigeon holes, with shallow boxes

filled with bran and haj^, at one end of the aviary, and shut off'-

the Nicobar Pigeons by closing the door of communication'

(which divides the garden aviary into two). ' Before the end oP

the month the hen bird Vv^as again sitting, this time steadily and -

without the aid of the Bronze-necks, upon two eggs; but, by

about the second week in October these were deserted and,;^

finding thdni- clear, I- blew them for my collection. Early in;-



