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Rev. Hubert D. Asteey,



tion. Then once more there is the gorgeous crystal clearness of

the Italian sky, and the sound of my Doves’ voices is heard in

the land.


There were so many young Senegal and Diamond Doves

that I have tried the very interesting experiment of turning

them out loose in the garden, giving them a pan of seed and

water under a shelter, close to the aviary in which they were

born. Since last October I have had some of these Doves at

liberty, as well as some of the small pale brown Dove with the

white line in the wings, which I have described. In Italy it is a

risky experiment, for not only are there cats galore, (and very

hungry vulgar cats they are,) but also the Italian ‘cacciatori,’

who are nothing more than loafers with guns who shoot at

everything they see with feathers on it, not including, or shall I

say with the exception of, women with ‘ aigrettes ’ and Birds of

Paradise plumes etc : at which I should like to have a shot, if

one could knock off the hats without injuring (bodily) the

wearers! But for the protection of my Doves in the garden I

let the cats know that I am their declared enemy, and I have

put up notice boards on two tree-trunks on the confines of

my garden, most politely begging of the said ‘cacciatori ’ not to

shoot at any Doves that they may see.


These Doves, having been bred in the place and having

their parents constantly cooing in the aviary, have stayed and

are quite domesticated ; though, alas ! there are not so many as

there should be. A pair of the little light brown Doves have a

nest, (as I write, in the first week of March,) in a large fig tree ;

a pair ot Diamond Doves come regularly to pick up some

millet seed which I throw down on the cobble pavement outside

my sitting-room, and then they fly into the orange trees. A

pair of Diamond Doves in perfect condition, sitting cooing and

preening their feathers in an orange tree, with the golden fruit

hanging over their small grey heads, and the brilliant blue of

the Mediterranean in the background is worth seeing.


These Diamond Doves are, I think, about to nest. The

little male bird is constantly spreading his slender tail and

cooing to his mate. When we are sitting out of doors these

delightful little birds will settle at our feet and run quite fear-



