THE RUFOLS PIGEON. 



41 



purple, the thighs and underparts light grey, the 

 feathers on the thighs coming low down on the 

 legs. The beak lead colour, the feet light crimson, 

 the eye verjf rich ruby-red. The hen is much the 

 same colour as the cock, but has very little red- 

 purple on the mantle or shoulders ; she is more 

 olive-brown, and her lower breast has a brownish 

 wash over the purple ; her forehead is a lighter 

 purple than in the cock. 



WILD LIFE. 



The Rufous pigeon seems to vary in numbers in 

 its wild state according to the time of year when 

 the fruits are ripe or otherwise, as it feeds largely 

 upon them. When this food is plentiful it is said 

 to be common in the forests in Brazil, where the 

 natives know it under the name of Gallega. Mr. 

 ■ Underwood, in an article in the Ibis on the Birds 

 of the Volcano of Miravalles, says this pigeon is 

 "one of the most abundant pigeons of Miravalles. 

 Of an afternoon one would see numbers of them 

 conspicuously seated on the highest branches of 

 the trees standing out in relief against the sky." 



Mr. Loat, another writer, tells us that "the wild 

 fruits attract the common pigeon (Columia rufina) 

 sometimes in great numbers ; they are generally 

 fat and make good eating." Again, Mr. Sclater 

 speaks of the Rufous as "common but very shy; 

 found in the deep bush, feeds principally on the 

 ground." While still another account of the bird 

 says, "Common in the forests of the lowlands, 

 "feeding in large flocks amongst the fruit trees." 



LIFE IN CAPTIVITY. 



I think it was in 1905 that a pair of these most 

 beautiful pigeons were sent over to me, amongst 

 a number of other doves, from Jamaica. They had 

 been used to aviary life, and had reared one young 

 one in captivity already. If I remembsr rightly, 

 I understood that this pair of doves — their name 

 then unknown to both the sender of them and 

 iTiyself — had been sent to Jamaica across in a boat 

 from the mainland, from a little place called 

 Barranquilla. 



This place was noted for its Panama hats, and 

 many thousands of pounds worth of hats left it 

 every year, the people paying for what they 

 required in hats instead of coin. 



I was so unfortunate as to lose my old cock after 

 some time ; he was not ill long, and as I was 

 going away the day after I first noticed he was not 

 well, I decided to catch him and give him some 

 medicine, as I did not like my birdman to have the 

 responsibility of doing so whilst I was away. 

 Whether the medicine did not suit him, or possibly 

 being caught frightened him, I do not know ; but 

 the bird got worse instead of better, and in a few 



hours died. He seemed to suffer from something 

 wrong with his breathing, and afterwards seemed 

 partially dazed, but as I did not have a post 

 mortem on him, I do not know the cause of death. 



Before this cock died the pair had reared a fine 

 young one — the first, I believe, to be bred in Great 

 Britain — for they had begun nesting within a week 

 after landing in England. This 3'oung cock was 

 now almost as large as his parents, and at the time 

 of the old bird's death a second young one onh' a 

 few days old was in the nest. This younger bird 

 fell out of the nest a day or two later, and was 

 picked up cold and almost dead. To my surprise, 

 after a time, the warmth of my hand revived it, 

 and finally, under the care of some Barbary doves, 

 it grew into a fine bird. When nearly full grown, 

 however, it died from some unknown cause. 



This left me with only the old hen and the young 

 cock. They nested and several fertile eggs were 

 laid — I must tell you the Rufous pigeon lays only 

 one egg at a sitting, the egg being large and white 

 and rounded at both ends, though oval in shape — 

 but after a time the young cock began to suffer 

 from lumps or tumours in his face ; up to then he 

 had been particularly strong and healthy. I had 

 this bird operated on, and treated it myself (of 

 which I have already told you in the chapter on 

 sick management), and for a time it quite 

 recovered ; but in igoS I lost it. In its younger 

 days this bird had two fits at long intervals, but 

 rest and great care restored it. 



My friend in Jamaica had still the odd Rufous 

 pigeon that the old birds had bred before they came 

 to England. At first he thought it was a hen, 

 but finding it was after all a cock he very kindly 

 sent it to me. It was a very fine bird, and last 

 year I nearly bred another young Rufous pigeon. 



The birds started nesting, not for the first time, 

 in June. I supposed it hatched on June loth, as 

 an eggshell was found on the floor. On June 24th 

 the young bird was still invisible, but the old bird 

 looked risen up on the nest. Four days later, on 

 going down to the aviary, I found both the parents 

 off the nest and the young bird caught in the 

 branches. I rescued it and put it back in the nest, 

 when the old bird returned to it. I took some 

 notes at the time of the young one's plumage; it 

 would then be about 17 days old. Its general 

 colour was slate-grey with a reddish tinge on the 

 wings ; the back of its head and tail were all 

 quills (of unburst feathers), giving it a very strange 

 look; the head was rather small, the legs thick, 

 the feet large. It seemed helpless but healthy, and 

 was very ugly. 



Again next day it was rescued in the same way, 

 and after this it appeared to fairly settle down in 

 the nest. About July 2nd its quills disappeared 



