on Foreign Doves at liberty.



127



coorrrw, at frequent intervals. Should a rival attempt to answer

him from near at hand, a battle generally ensues, for the species is

decidedly pugnacious. When courting, the male bird makes a deep,

quick bow to the hen, accompanying it with a short “ corw,” fol¬

lowed by a shiver of the wings.


Bronze-necked Wood-doves (Haplopelia larvata ) were a later

introduction than the two species already mentioned, our first and

only consignment reaching us about seven years ago. This rare South

African Dove is so little known to aviculturists that it may be well to

give some account of its appearance. In size and general build it

bears a very close resemblance to the Australian Green-winged Dove

and probably also to the Rufous Dove, a bird which I ought however

to say that I have never seen alive. The adult male has the back,

wings, and tail a uniform dark vinous brown and the breast dark

vinous, becoming more or less chestnut on the abdomen and under

tail coverts. The face is greyish white and there is a good deal of

metallic green on the back of the neck. The hen is smaller and

duller than the cock and has little or no white on her face. Young

birds at first possess a speckly, rather grouse-like plumage, which is

moulted shortly after leaving the nest.


The Bronze-necked Wood-dove appears to be quite hardy ;

our birds spent their first winter out of doors without injury, although

during a brief spell of severe frost, the thermometer on one occasion

actually fell below zero, and the following summer they bred and

successfully reared their young. The nest is generally built in a thick

bush, about 8ft. from the ground, and is composed of fibrous roots and

fine twigs; it is rather a slip-shod affair, as is usual with pigeons, but

a certain amount of stability is sometimes ensured by the use of an

old Thrush’s nest as a foundation. Two white eggs are usually laid

and both sexes take part in their incubation ; two or three broods

being reared in one season. When breeding, the cock becomes very

jealous and quarrelsome, fighting with other doves, attacking and

driving away any small birds which happen to approach him and

pursuing his mate with low humming coos.


The Bronze-necked Wood-dove is mainly terrestial in its habits,

walking and running rapidly over the bare ground underneath thick

evergreen shrubs and never venturing into the open. The flight is



