258



Mr. W. E. Teschemaker,



when their mellow notes ring out in the early morning they

make the voices of the doves in the aviary seem absolutely

insignificant. Doves however have just one advantage, namely,

that they are very easy to breed (or at all events this has been

the case with the few species that I have kept); hence no doubt

their popularity with some of our members.


Chamcepelia griseola is a South American species. I have

not been able to ascertain anything definite with regard to its

distribution or wild life. Mr. Harper writes me as follows :—“I

regret being unable to furnish any particulars beyond stating that

I have often seen these Doves in small parties of two’s and three’s

on the ground near cattle-sheds in the Botanical Gardens, George¬

town, Demerara, where they were evidently feeding upon grain.

I have also observed them up the Demerara River, thirty or forty

miles from the coast, feeding on the ground in the clearings at

the edge of the forest. They appear to be shy birds, easily

taking flight when approached.”


Mr. Harper thought that this species had not been pre¬

viously imported but, as a matter of fact, I myself had two of

these Doves sent me by a dealer in 1904. They were described

as a pair but, after I kept them over a year, it dawned upon me

that they were two cocks. It is quite likely therefore that others

have been imported and they may even have been bred.


In size they are a trifle smaller than Passerines, compactly

built, wings and tail short. They run and fly well and are very

active. Griseolus of course means “greyish,” but I do not think

this is a very accurate description of their colour. The male is

a light blue, when in full colour, and has a few dark metallic

spots on the wings.


The female is a dark fawn colour, inclining to brown, and

has more metallic spots. Her crown is rounded in profile,

whereas that of the male has an angular outline ; she is also

rather smaller. Both sexes have the inner surface of the wings

of the usual salmon pink. The note of the female is a mono¬

syllable, generally repeated three times, and sounds like the

word “ worp.” The note of the male is about a third lower in

pitch and may be rendered “ werp.” To distinguish them let us

call them “Worp” and “Werp.”



