168 Herbert Bright—Breeding the White-breasted Ground Pigeon


The animals and birds rested at St. Laurent with my other

collections under the care of Mr. Fooks, whilst I visited Suriname and

Demarara and went to spend a week with Mr. Beebe at the tropical

Research Station of Kartabo (British Guiana), and I rejoined my

collection on board the steamer Antilles when I re-embarked three weeks

later at Georgetown (Demarara) for Trinidad and Martinique.



NOTES ON BREEDING THE WHITE-BREASTED


GROUND PIGEON (PHLOGCENAS JOBIENSIS ) 1


By Herbert Bright


Mr. Page has given the following description of this beautiful

Pigeon, so I cannot do better than quote his words. He calls it “ a near

relative of the Bleeding Heart Pigeon, from which, however, it differs

entirely in deportment and coloration, and to which we have given the

trivial name of White-breasted Pigeon or Dove. The Bleeding Heart

Pigeon in captivity spends most of its time upon the ground, but during

two days we did not see it upon the ground at all. The general

coloration is rich vinous-cinnamon refulgent with a purplish sheen ;

upper eye streak, lower eye region, whole of the throat and breast

white narrowly margined with black, the whole of its appearance being

very handsome and gorgeously beautiful.” I have since discovered

a point of importance that we both missed when looking at the birds.

It is the way, in my pair, at all events, of distinguishing the sexes.

In the male bird the white eye streak meets over the base of the beak

while in the hen there is a narrow dividing line where the dark colour

of the head runs right down to the beak, cutting through the white.

I noticed this when looking at the hen sitting on her young. She was

very tame at this period, and would not move when we passed within

a foot of her nest. My birds came over in a consignment of Australian

birds, and I was assured they were a true pair, but was much amused

later on when talking to the then owner to hear that he thought they

were two cocks. He had evidently not noticed this difference. They

had been well cared for on their long journey, and were in good condition


[ x Phlogcenas jobiensis Meyer, mcirgaritcR (D’Albertancl Salvad). Inhabits New

Guinea, Jobi, and Bismarck Archipelago. — E d.]



