342 On Nesting of the Partridge Bronzewing Pigeon.


cuneala). I think we shall hear more about this later on, as I

have sent a two days old young Partridge Bronze-wing to

Mr. Pycraft, and he has promised to describe it to us. It would

be interesting if our members would examine any young doves

or pigeons that they may have hatched and report if they find it

present; I think the young of Columba and Turtur have no trace

of it.


To return to the history of the young one hatched on May

23rd, I was away the end of May and beginning of June, but was

told the young one was first noticed out of the nest on June 4th,

when it would be about twelve days old. It could run quite fast,

as I am informed it gave much trouble to catch in order to be

replaced in the nest at night, it was always out again in the

morning. I have no notes of the early stages of this bird, but

later ones will supplement those 011 the second young one, so I

will give them later on. O11 June 7th and 9th the old birds laid

again in the same nest, from which the first young had only run,

I can’t say flown, two or three days before. During incubation

the eldest young one would sometimes sit by its sitting parent.

On June 26th another young one was hatched. Duration of in¬

cubation seventeen days. On June 30th its eyes were opening

and feathers beginning to sprout, body sparingly covered with

fawn coloured down. (A young pigeon a few days old does not

seem nearly so well clothed as at birth, owing to the growth of

the body, the down also fades). July 5th it first left the nest,

being nine days old. I found it about a yard away; its wings,

top of head, crop and back were now fairly fledged. I put it

back in the nest. On July 7th the young one did not stay in the

nest any more, but ran about quite actively after its parents,

wings well fledged and a band of feathers along top of head,

which were raised when the bird ran, sides of upper surface of

head bare. The white face markings just beginning to show in

quill feathers on each side of ear. It was about the size of a

Picui Dove, ran quite fast, it recognised its parents at some

distance off, ran to them, uttering a sort of chirping whistle, and

nestled under the old bird like a chick. July 9th the white

feathers on face coming. July 10th, saw old bird feed young for

first time, then they went to the end of the flight, and I was



