on more Attempts to Breed the Tambourine Dove. ioi


As I do not consider it probable that the young of the

Tambourine Dove at the age of nine days has hitherto been

described, I think it may be interesting to describe it:—The

skin, where not feathered, is of an ash-grey colour, the crown of

the head sparsely covered with straggling sandy-coloured hairs,

the neck and sides of breast below clothed with half-developed

whity-brown downy feathers, those of the breast with broad

ill-defined subterminal blackish transverse bands ; the flanking

feathers of the abdomen are also downy, but pure white ; all the

feathers of the wings and tail are of a bright coffee-brown

colour with broad subterminal irregular transverse black bands ;

the bill is black with bone-yellowish tip ; the feet dark horn

brown, becoming almost black on the toes; the claws reddish

horn-colour. I was too late to note the colour of the iris.


In the description of the immature young in the Museum

Catalogue the only approach to the above colouring is in the

secondaries, which are said to have rufous bauds towards the

tips; I think therefore that this very early plumage, which,

though less sandy in aspect, vaguely reminds one of Pallas’

Sand-Grouse, may have some significance as an indication of the

ancestral colouring of the Doves: Mr. Seth-Smith tells me

that the same general appearance occurs in the very young

nestlings of other species; and, even in a much more developed

nestling of Phlogcenas sent to me by Miss Alderson, there is an

indication of subterminal dusky transverse bars on the brown-

tipped steel-bluish feathers of the upper parts.


I believe my Doves are contemplating another attempt

now, which will, it is to be hoped, be more satisfactory ; but in

any case each phase of the plumage of this or an)^ other bird

when described, is one further detail added to the life-history of

the species, and therefore not time wasted.*



* The doves sat steadily for about six days, and then I found a broken egg on the

floor: on examining the nest I discovered nothing therein.—A. G. B.



