A T otcs on Doves. 41


NOTES ON DOVES.

By C. Castu?-Sw)Ane.


I first made the aquaintance of the pretty and graceful

Senegal Doves in June of last year; they soon made themselves

at home in the aviary set apart for the doves, and started to make

a fragile nest of a few twigs and hay, it really could not be called

a nest as it was so flimsy, and looked so like coming down with

every gust of wind, that I quite expected to see the eggs broken

when I went in of a morning; however the birds seem proud of

accomplishing such a nest. The eggs were laid on the 6th and

7th of August : of course they chose the most exposed spot

possible, and after a few days, when everything was going on

nicely, an awful storm of rain which lasted for two or three days

came on, luckily a slight shower came first as if to warn me what

to expect, so a piece of matting was placed over the top of the

aviary and so protected the nest. Contrary to expectations, the

young were hatched, and fine big birds they were, the parents

being very attentive to them ; but one morning, without any

warning, they were both found dead in the nest. The bird had

not deserted them, as she was sitting on the nest that night.

About this time I went away, and heard nothing more till one

morning I received a letter stating that they had nested again,,

the eggs being laid on the 18th and 19th of August, and hatched

out on September 2nd. The young grew and prospered and, at

the time of writing, are flying about in the aviary. When these

doves were nesting they were rather spiteful to the others, and

when they left the nest for food they would fly all round the

aviary making darts at each occupant as if for the fun of the

thing.


About the same time I heard that the Painted Doves had

laid on the 16th and 17th of August and hatched out on August

31st. I was rather excited, thinking that this might be a rare

species, so I wrote to Mr. Seth-Smith saying that I was away and

asking if he could tell me what it was, and he very kindly told

me it was the White-winged Zenaida Dove (Melopelia leucoptera).

This dove also built a very fragile nest, choosing an open spot.

Some time ago I bought some basket nests and put tkem-iu_the- /



