58 Breedi?ig of the Australian " Peaceful" Dove in Italy.


BREEDING OF THE AUSTRALIAN "PEACEFUL"

DOVE IN ITALY.

By the Rev. Hubert D. Astxey, M.A.


A pair of these extremely pretty doves, which I have had

iu an outdoor aviary for three years have reared several young

this season [1906]. They commenced in April and have

continued steadily ever since, and as I write, have a pair of

newly-hatched young. [14th October.] As I have not been in

Italy during the summer months, I cannot record with exactitude

all their failures or successes, but there are representatives of

at any rate three families flying about in good condition and

health. That is, there are three birds in adult plumage and one

in semi-nestling plumage, which birds must represent three

separate nests. In May one bird was successfully reared from

the first nest, its comrade having fallen out when about ten days

old, and been killed.


Both the young birds hatched in April died in the nest

when well feathered. Perhaps the parent birds had not yet

gained sufficient experience iu feeding, for the hen bird was still

brooding her young after life had departed from their bodies.


Between June and October there must have been two

more broods, represented by three birds. The first of these

broods having two, and the second, one young one. So that

altogether there have been at least four broods in seven mouths ;

and I rather believe there was another pair of eggs which came

to nothing. The nest has been always built iu the same place

within a covered box, partly open on one side and entirely open

underneath. A small bunch of heath {Erica) was fixed within,

and on this the Peaceful Doves built a fairly compact nest of hay.


The young when first hatched are covered with a fawn-

coloured down ; but I regret that I cannot describe them more

in detail, as I did not care to disturb the parent bird too much.


When they leave the nest the}' - have a very spotted appear-

ance. The crown, hind neck, upper back, shoulders, greater

wing-coverts and secondaries, have each feather spotted with

cream-buff on the ends, and within this spot there is a bar

(almost a spot) of dark brown. These creamy spots form two



