SENEGAL TURTLE-DOVE. 



55 



in the shelter, and carried up dried heather con- 

 tinually. I suppose I was probabl}' too shy of 

 disturbing them to inspect what the birds were 

 really after ; anyhow, it was not until some time 

 later that I found the birds had piled up quite a 

 pyramid of heather, with eggs laid at intervals in 

 the pile. Evidently they had made one nest and 

 laid, then tempted at seeing fresh heather had 

 added more on the top of the eggs and laid again, 

 and repeated this foolishness until I discovered it. 



The Necklaces nested under great difficulties, for 

 they had two persistent enemies — ^first the Crested 

 doves, and later the Auritas. The first-named kept 

 taking the nests from the Necklaces and sitting 

 upon the eggs, the rightful owners being power- 

 less to resist, so that at last I was obliged to take 

 the intruders away to another aviary. The cock 

 Aurita had another method of torment : he would 

 hide regularly in the shelter, and when the Neck- 

 laces, but particularly the cock, came down to feed, 

 he would dart out and drive them off, and then 

 retire to his hiding-place to await his next oppor- 

 tunity. This happened so often and interfered so 

 with the rearing of the young birds that I was 

 driven to placing food and water in the spare nest 

 pans close to the Necklaces' nest; they were very 

 grateful, and the cock began to feed at once. The 

 Aurita then changed his plans, and grew bold 

 enough to try and attack the nest itself, but being 

 a coward as well as a bully he was no match for 

 the old cock on the higher level. 



It really was amusing (because no harm ever 

 came of it) to watch the cock Necklace guarding 

 the hen on the nest, never taking his eyes off his 

 enemy, who would come creeping up to him 

 through the branches. Suddenly there would be a 

 raising of wings, a sharp interchange of blows, 

 and the Aurita would invariably fly off discom- 

 fited, leaving the victor triumphant. 



The young Necklace doves have grey heads, pale 

 vinaceous breasts, the rest of the plumage brown 

 with faint lighter spots on the wings ; they have 

 no checked neck collar at first. Although on the 

 whole the old birds were excellent parents, yet they 

 failed to rear their young ones many times. I 

 have known the hen ill-treat one of her own young 

 ones till I had to take the poor little thing away ; 

 and again, if there were two young ones, the 

 parents would possibly feed one and neglect the 

 other. There is as much difference of character in 

 birds as in human beings, and a bird, however 

 ugly, that is a good nesting bird is invaluable. 

 Such a bird is my hen Aurita that I have already 

 told you of. 



I once bred some beautiful Necklace Senegal 

 hybrids ; they were very handsome birds. Now I 

 have no Necklaces, but I sometimes think I will 



keep them again. Several were recently let 'out 

 loose into the' Zoo grounds as an experiment to see 

 if they would breed there, but I do not know how 

 they thrived. The Necklace dove was kept at the 

 Gardens in 1884; its value is 12/6 to 15/- a pair, 

 and it is imported fairly often and does not seem 

 affected by the cold, but should not be allowed to 

 nest in winter, or the hens may die from egg- 

 binding. 



SENEGAL TURTLE-DOVE. 



(Turtitr Senegaleiisis). 



Habitat. — The whole of the African Continent, 

 Secotra, common on the Orange River and Grand 

 Namaqualand, Senegal, and the Canary Islands. 



Length. — About 11 inches. Shape, medium 

 build, well proportioned. 



Colouring. — The head, neck, and breast a soft 

 vinous, almost red-brick; the underparts white, the 

 lower back and wings ash grey ; the back is a 

 blending- of the grey and vinous; the tail black, 

 white and grey ; the bill dusky black, with a slight 

 vinous shade; the iris orange-red, the legs pinkish- 

 red. The hen is somewhat smaller and duller in 

 colouring; both birds have round the front and 

 sides of the neck a collar of small black checks. 

 It is unusual in doves to find the collar in this 

 position — it is generally round the hack of the 

 neck, not the front. 



WILD LIFE. 



The Senegal dove seems to prefer the haunts of 

 man to the wilder parts, for it breeds not only in 

 trees and hedges, but in rafters, walls, ruins and 

 churches, and in the midst of towns and villages. 

 It is found in the Mimosa bush along the 

 Tugela, and Captain Horsburgh says it is very 

 common about Bloemfontein, and is generally seen 

 singly. It breeds almost all the year round, the 

 nest being made of twigs and roots, like most other 

 doves' nests. The eggs are white and two 

 generally laid at a sitting. 



LIFE IN CAPTIVITY. 



The Senegal is one of the inost popular of doves 

 to keep in an aviary, for it is hardy, not too large, 

 and breeds freely, besides being very pretty. But 

 it has two bad faults — it is not always good- 

 tempered to other doves whilst it is nesting — I 

 have even known it turn on one of its own young 

 ones, plucking and beating it — and it is given to 

 laying eggs and then after a time deserting them, 

 probably with the desire to nest again. 



The colouring of the Senegal varies very much 

 according to the district the birds come from. 

 Some birds are larger than others, and in these the 

 red shade prevails over the grey. The smaller and 



