On Nesting of the Orange Bishop. 89


In the year 1901, our member Mr. Eaton Parker imported

a few of these doves, together with examples of most of the other

Jamaican species, and I obtained four living specimens from

him. These turned out to be three males and one female. One

of the males died, I gave another to the Zoological Gardens,

where the species had been unrepresented since the year 1873,

and kept the pair. These made several attempts to nest during

the following summer, but, presumably through being disturbed

by other birds, failed to sit properly. I11 the early spring of

1903 the hen unfortunately died : so that I have not had the

good fortune to rear a single young bird of this beautiful species.


I would strongly advise our members to re-read Miss

Alderson’s article (Vol. I., N. S. p. 393, Vol. II., N.S. p. 28) while

studying the charming plate which Mr. Goodcliild has drawn

from the living specimen at the Zoological Gardens, and which

represents the male bird in the act of cooing. D. S.-S.



NESTING OF THE ORANGE BISHOP.


Pyromelana franciscana.


By Reginald Phieeipps.


I am not acquainted with any previous instance of this

species having laid eggs in the United Kingdom ; perhaps,

therefore, the following case should be placed on record.


On October 31st last I noticed a pair of these birds making

love, on November 5th I found the completed nest, the first egg

was laid on the 8th, a second on the 9th, the female commencing

to sit towards the afternoon of the 10th. It is possible that a

third egg had been laid that day and had perhaps been dropped

owing to the thick morning fog, or it may have been stolen from

the nest before I paid my visit. The weather distinguished itself

by being wet, cold, frosty, clammy, foggy, dank, dark, everything

that was disagreeable and undesirable for a tropical bird in an

exceptionally airy nest—but the plucky little female sat through

it all.


The nest was built at the end of the garden, in a stack of

dead boughs, and was not much concealed. During the winter



