212



Mr. D. Seth-Smith,



Phaps elegans; at any rate my three specimens are the tamest

Doves I have ever known. When I took them home I put all

three into a warmed aviary, and immediately they got out of

the travelling cage the two cocks commenced to coo and bow to

the hen and to pick up small sticks, with the idea of starting

housekeeping forthwith. My presence did not affect them in

the least, and they walked about round and between my legs as

though they had known me all their lives.


High up in this aviary there were some large bundles of

brushwood securely fastened to the walls and roof, and on one of

these the Bronzewings commenced to build a nest in earnest

within two or three days of their arrival from a London dealer’s

shop. All three seemed to be building the nest together at first,

but I noticed that one of the cocks appeared to be more in

favour than the other, so he was left as the happy husband of the

only lady, and the other was removed to spend some few months

at least of his life in single blessedness.


Nest-building now went on in earnest, the hen remaining

aloft whilst the cock fetched twig after twig. I noticed in this

case a habit that I have before observed with some other Doves,

namely that, when building, the cock generally alights with a

piece of twig on the back of the hen, the object being doubtless

to avoid disarranging the nest. Having settled on her back

he bends his head over hers, and she takes the twig and

arranges it in its place while he descends for another.


On January the 21st, just ten days after their arrival, the

first egg was laid, the second following next day, and the birds

commenced to sit, the cock during the day and the hen at night.

On February the 9th one young bird was hatched, the second

egg being clear. This youngster received the most devoted

attention from its parents at first, but later I noticed signs that

all was not going on as well as it should be.


The following appears in my bird diary :


4 ‘ Feb. 21. Young P. elegans getting well fledged, parents

appear now to cover it only at night.


“ Feb. 22. Parents appear to be anxious to nest again—bad

sign.



