on the Nesting of the Partridge Bronzezving Pigeon. 339


that day, and I suppose he thought the big “Partridge” might

do them harm. My pair are quite tame, and altogether charming

birds in all ways.


The young birds are much wilder, they always I think

roost on the sand, either in the inner house or under the glass

shelter of their aviary. I will first quote Campbell in his “ Nests

and Eggs of Australian Birds,” as he tells us all that is known of

the nesting of this bird in the wild state. On page 690 he writes :

“ Professqr Alfred Newton, Cambridge, has drawn my attention to

the statement made by Gould that ‘ the young both run and fly

strongly when they are only as large as a Quail, as I satisfactorily

ascertained by killing one which rose before me ; but at which

bird I had fired I had not the slightest conception until I picked

it up.’ Gould’s statement is somewhat ambiguous and un¬

satisfactory, to say the least of it, and it is with very great

diffidence I have to qualify the statement of such an eminent

authority. It would indeed be remarkable were one of the Pigeon

tribe, after coming into down, to fly before fully feathered. I

wrote to the Messrs. Barnard for their field observations on the

subject. The following is Mr. Charles Barnard’s reply : ‘I have

noticed the passage in Gould re young Pigeons that you refer to.

I have seen them fly when only the size of a large Quail, but any

person could see it was the weak, uncertain flight of a young

bird, and when they alight they will allow themselves to be

picked up without attempting to escape. I do not think they

leave the nest until they are able to fly.’ Mr. Harry Barnard

writes : ‘ The young Squatter Pigeons remain about a fortnight

in the nest till they can fly short distances; but they are easily

caught for some time after leaving the nest, as their flight is very

weak.’ Further, Mr. Charles was good enough to forward to me

in spirits a pair of these young Pigeons about a week old, taken

from the nest. Judging from their unfeatliered wings, it would

have been impossible for them to 4 fly strongly’ at such an early

age. Here is Mr. Barnard’s own memo, which accompanied the

specimen : ‘ The young Pigeons were just about a week old when

I bottled them, the eggs were last seen on Monday afternoon,

30th March (1896) and I bottled the young early the following

Monday.’



