on Nesting of the Partridge Bronzewing Pigeon. 43


parents but slimmer, so that the tail seemed longer in proportion,

it rather reminded me of a pea-chick.


On July 24th, nearly nine weeks old, it was perched on a

thick triangular perch about a couple of feet off the ground with

the old cock bird ; it seemed in a playful mood, it jumped from

one side to the other several times, after each jump it drew itself

up stiffly, all the time the feathers on the crown were erected so

as to form quite a crest. Presently it flew to the ground and up

again, standing in front of its parent with feathers of crest and

back rather raised, it lowered and raised itself several times in

quick succession ; it did this two or three times, the old cock

cooed to it with the usual three notes. I have never seen the

old birds indulge in these antics, they may be the actions of the

female when courting. Hen doves and pigeons often show off to

the cock bird when mating in a way seldom seen at other times,

from this I take this elder bird to be a hen. It was still being

fed as I saw five days later; it was now only very little smaller

than its parents, but still slimmer looking. In colour it is

almost the same, just a shade greyer in tone, the crest seems

distinctly longer than in the adult. Does this show that the

ancestors of Geophaps were crested like the closely allied Plume-

doves ( Lophophaps ) ?


August 1st. Ten weeks old, it was now practically as

large as its parents, the skin round the eye had turned bluish

white as in the adults, four primaries had nearly been renewed,

and about six of the green speculum feathers had been grown,,

beginning at the end nearest the body, the two central tail

feathers had been moulted and were just starting to grow again,,

many of the small body and wing feathers had been renewed.


August 5th. The eldest young bird has filled out and now

seems as plump as its parents.


August nth. Between eleven and twelve weeks old it has

now moulted most of its small body feathers, a few of the first

feathers remain about the middle of the scapulars and are dis¬

tinguished by their mottled ends and faded lighter tips, the sixth

primary is growing, seventh to tenth have been renewed, second¬

aries just beginning to be moulted, central tail feathers about two

thirds grown, the next pair have been shed, the green speculum



