on the Nesting of the Solitary Ground Dove. 133


have noticed these same lighter markings on the wings of young

White-fronted Doves (Z,. j'amaicensis) but in both instances the

light marks quite disappeared when the birds were a few weeks

old.


The tail of the young Solitary Dove was olive-dun, with

the three outer feathers on each side tipped with white, and the

next two pairs with lighter tips.


The young bird was never sick or sorry, and is now a very

fine specimen, and has long ago assumed the adult colouring ; I

think by its shape it is a cock.


In July the Solitary Doves nested again, but failed to rear

any young : later still yet another nest was made and one young

hatched, but when still in the nest it began to fail, and one day

was found dead. This young bird was a very poor specimen,

though healthy enough when first hatched, but the days and

nights had begun to be very cold, and the little bird did not

thrive properly. I have no doubt that had it been in summer

the result would have been very different. Date hatched birds

never do well, and the parents seldom look after them so

thoroughly as in the case of the earlier broods.


It is as well to make a rule to allow no late nesting to start

after the middle of September. After that date the eggs should

be destroyed, and the nests cut down, and if that will not stop

the birds laying, the pairs should be separated. Remember that

nests started the end of September mean that the young ones

will leave the nest just as November comes in, and what chance

will they have then to grow properly ? It may to some seem

cruel to destroy the eggs, but it is worse to watch a young bird

dwindling away day by day until it dies. Further, I have often

noticed that directly a young bird begins to fail the parents take

against it. It seems a law amongst birds that all that is weak

should not be allowed to live and is better out of the way.


I find most neglected young doves die from the same

complaint. The symptoms are lameness in one or both legs, the

bird becomes very relaxed, and gets thinner and thinner, until

at last it dies from weakness. Young Californian Quails are

sometimes affected in the same way, but in their case there is a

peculiar look about the eyes, that of itself is a warning that the

bird is going wrong.



