Mr. Pelham T. L. Dodsworth.



i 66


did not seem to relish these attentions, for she would drop down

on to the floor of the cage, as if to avoid her mate, who imme¬

diately followed her, and with a low “coo-coo” called her into a

corner of the cage. Both birds would then pretend to pick up

something from the ground, and after a short time fly back to

their perches. This was constantly repeated during the day, and

the proceeding on the part of the male struck me as being very

similar to that of a cock in the poultry yard calling his liens

round him when a dainty morsel has been found. During the

breeding season here, I have often heard the male Kokla in the

wild state utter the low “ coo-coo” note after his usual song, but

have never up to this had the good fortune actually to witness

the courtship.


Just when matters were reaching a most interesting stage

with my birds, the hen suddenly sickened and died, and it is

almost impossible to describe in words the intense grief which

was displayed by her mate. For a long time he walked round

and round her body, singing and calling her, and would not

allow any one to touch her. When the dead bird was eventually

removed and placed on the ground outside the cage, he still kept

walking round and round, singing and calling her. Bor the

whole of that day, and for several daj^s after the death of the hen,

he was perpetually whistling at short intervals and going through

the form of courtship already described, and there seemed no

doubt whatever that he was greatly distressed at the domestic

calamity that had befallen him.


Three months have now passed since the death of the hen,

and the cock seems to be somewhat reconciled to his loneliness.

The courtship proceedings are still occasionally indulged in, but

as there is now no fair one to whom he can pay his attentions,

he eliminates the final act of dropping in the corner of his cage,

and calling to his mate. He seems at times to get tired of his

plantain diet, and for two or three days at a time will eat nothing

else but grain—a habit no doubt acquired from his quondam

companions, the Doves: he also occasionally eats large quantities

of mud, apparently as an aid to digestion. The sound of a

bugle or the striking of a clock sets him off singing at once.

His powers of discernment appear to be highly developed. I



