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Miss R. Alderson,



The Solitary Doves nested in April, and sat very well.

Two fine young ones were hatched, but both died when

only a few days old. Just at this time the Rufous Doves had two

strong young ones just out of the nest, and the Solitary cock,

who seemed as if he must have something to love and care for,

used to help to feed these young birds and preen their feathers.


Soon after this the Solitaiy Doves started nesting again,

this time in the Rufous Doves’ old nest (the latter having chosen

another site), and I used to watch the cock Solitary Dove sitting

with a baby Rufous Dove on each side of him, as pleased as

possible to have them by him. For some time the little Rufous

Doves kept returning to their old nursery, evidently encouraged

by their old friend’s kind reception of them. This second nest

was started about May 20th. Two eggs were laid, both fertile,

but when the birds had sat for about thirteen days one egg un¬

fortunately got broken. The other hatched into a fine young

bird, and as might have been expected, received the greatest care

and attention from its parents. I left home for a short time

when the young bird was a few days old, and on my return, after

about ten days’ absence, found the young dove had left the nest.

It did not seem much to care to return to it, as the young Rufous

Doves had done, but found its way about the aviary in a most pre¬

cocious manner, apparently quite able to look after its own

safety, and quickly got to fly quite well.


This dove was one of the strongest and most active young

ones I have ever bred, and, after a few weeks, was almost as

large as either of its parents.


The general colouring of the young one on leaving the

nest was very like that of the old birds, but it lacked the

purple tint on the breast, the sheen on the neck, and the orange

eyes.


In the young bird the head was greyish with light dun

forehead, and the back of the neck dark grey. The breast was

dun gre}^ shading into pure white on the under parts ; the back

dark dun ; the wings dark brown, with two bands of copper

across each (in a later nestling these bands were lacking, but the

wings were spotted with copper instead, perhaps this bird being

much weaker lacked enough feather to make a perfect line). I



