Nesting of the Australian Phoned Doves. .1311


so I removed them to a large aviary with grass and shrubs where

they were very active, and laid two clutches of eggs in corners

of the shelter on a few twigs and straws drawn together, hardly

worth calling a nest; the hen made no attempt to incubate

though she hovered round the eggs a good deal. I am sorry I

did not take exact notes of dates, but it must have been at the

end of May that a small coop with a turf nest in it was put in

this aviary, and the dove took to it at once. Two eggs were laid

oil the turf nest and the hen began to sit at once. Both birds

sat alternately and together never leaving the eggs uncovered,

and we believe they hatched out on June the 14th, just fourteen

days from the commencement of sitting. The old birds were

most secretive, and allowed us no glimpse of the young birds for

more than a week. I then discovered there were two. The little

ones came out in about three weeks, tiny downy things, rather

like young ducks, and hardly visible on the ground. They grew

fast and were soon exactly like the old birds, who went on feed-

ing them for a long time. There was a scare in the aviary one

night, a cat on the top, and the smaller of the young doves — as

I conclude the hen — was found dead on the ground with no

apparent injury. The remaining one is alive now, and the three

are always together and roost close together in a slight depression

on the ground. The young one seems to feel the cold more than

the old ones, and is asthmatic after a cold night but recovers

when the sun comes out. It was very touching to see the old

cock feeding the young one carefully when he was rather puffed

up, the young one being the bigger bird. They are absolutely

tame and most fascinating pets, running to meet us directly we

appear, and in the summer always bowing and cooing to us.


It appears that with good luck they might have several

pairs of young in the season, and I hope for more this year.


M. W. Conneu,.



