260 On the Nesting of the Dwaif Ground Dove.


But one morning I found the eggs on the ground and a hen

Scarlet Tanager in the act of emptying them of their contents.

I decided to catch up everything in the aviary, except the Doves,

so as to give them a fair chance, and in a week’s time “ Worp”

was once again sitting, and this time she had an aviary entirely

to herself.


I cannot give the period of incubation, because I was

many long miles from home at the time they hatched, watching

the nesting operations of the Montagu Harrier, but on my

return the young were well feathered. “ Werp ” did most of the

feeding, cramming them after the time-honoured method of the

Dove family— two at a time.


The young did not leave the nest for nearly three weeks

by which time they could fly as well as their parents and could

run like partridges. They are fawn-coloured, each feather

being margined with .light buff which gives them somewhat a

mottled appearance. I have not so far once seen the young on

the ground but, for all that, I do not think the title of “ Ground-

doves ” is a misnomer. Their ambulatory powers are great and

they have some of the distinctive habits of ground-birds, as for

instance that of crouching, with beak pressed on the ground and

tail elevated and directed towards the observer, which is a

common habit of some of the Quails and of the Quail-Finch.


The adult pair laid again before the young were inde¬

pendent, but I removed the eggs fearing they might desert the

young. “ Worp” was furious with me when I robbed her eggs,

clinging to the nest with both feet and striking viciously with

her wings. I had to actually lift her from the nest before I

could secure the eggs.


It is evident that this little species is very prolific, and, as

I said before, absolutely easy to breed.


I am glad to have found a good home for the young pair,

our member Mr. W. T. Page having expressed a wish to have

them.



