176



Notes on 1913.



In this house I bred nothing all through the summer. The

Green-wing's made several nests, and some of the eggs were hatched

but no young ones reared.


The Green-wing eggs are so deep a cream as to be almost

buff, the young birds have very dark, blackish skins, making them

look like little negro birds I always think, and such a contrast to

the young White Java Doves whose bodies are a soft clear pink with

no down on at all, almost like baby mice. The hen Green-wing is a

bird I bred some years ago, at a time when I reared several. She

nearly died of cold after she left the nest and I think this gave her a

check and caused her to be rather undersized, but she is a healthy

little bird all the same.


I was rather sorry for the Green-wings, because one of the

Spotted Pigeons took a fancy to their nesting basket and persisted

in sitting in it. Often when I have come in the house I have seen

the big pigeon’s head peeping over the edge of the nest, though I

do not think it ever harmed the Greenwings themselves. I had to

separate the two Spotted Pigeons, for being two cocks they fought,

and later I sold them both. I was very sorry to part with them for

they were lovely birds, but too large for my small places. The

colouring of the Spotted Pigeon is most harmonious, the tints are so

soft and there seems almost a bloom on the plumage which is always

tight and smooth, the eye is light coloured and seems of just the

shade to perfectly match the surrounding feathers.


The Madagascar there is nothing to chronicle about. She

was just an odd hen, whose mate died the year before.



{To be continued).



