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MY FOREIGN DOVES AND PIGEONS. 



for themselves and could do without the warmth 

 of their parents. However, in great heat one or 

 two young ones were reared annually. 



Mr. Cresswell accounts for this neglect on the 

 part of the old birds by the fact that having food 

 provided and always at hand they are not fatigued 

 and occupied in looking for it as in a state of 

 nature, and so too readily desire to start breeding 

 again at the expense of the young birds. They 

 were not deserted till they were i6 to 20 days old, 

 and would jump from the nest before they could 

 fly (probabl}' getting restless from hunger), and 

 either from neglect or damp would go wealc in 

 the legs, dwindle and die. 



One j'oung one, who nearly died, recovered, and 

 at six weeks old could not only care for itself, but 

 fly as well as its parents. 



Zebra doves were kept at the Zoo in 1863, and 

 bred there in 1865. In one year 14 young ones 

 were bred in the Girza Zoological Gardens, Cairo. 



THE DIAMOND DOVE. 



(Geopelia cuneata). 



Habitat. — It is found generally throughout Aus- 

 tralia (with the exception of Cape York and Rock- 

 ingham Bay). One writer says he found this dove 

 restricted to the middle regions of Australia, and 

 its prinicipal habitat the basin of the Murray and 

 its tributaries. 



Length. — About 73 inches, 4 of which compose 

 the tail. Shape, long and slender. 



Colouring. — In the male the head, neck and 

 breast a soft ash grey, passing into white on the 

 under parts. The nape and back mouse brown ; 

 the upper part of the wings darker grey and 

 covered with tin}' white spots. The naked skin 

 round the eye and also the eye itself bright red (in 

 some few specimens the eye and skin is yellowish 

 green). The beak is olive brown, the feet reddish 

 flesh-colour. In the female the white spots are 

 larger than in the male, but she is a smaller bird 

 and browner, not so grey as the cock. 



WILD LIFE. 



Mr. Gould's description of this dove in that old 

 book, Dixon's "Dovecote and Aviary," is so 

 pleasantly written that I cannot do better than 

 quote it. He says : "Its natural food being the 

 seeds of grasses and leguminous plants, it is 

 observed more frequently on the ground than 

 among trees. I sometimes met with jt in small 

 flocks, but more often in pairs or singl}'. It runs 

 over the ground with a short bobbing motion of 

 the tail, and while feeding is so remarkably tame 

 as almost to admit of its being taken by the hand; 

 and if forced to take wing it merely flies to the 



nearest trees, and there remains motionless among 

 the branches until it again descends to the ground. 

 I have not infrequently observed it close to the open 

 door of the huts of the stock-keepers of the interior, 

 who from it being so constantly before them regard 

 it with little interest. The nest is a frail but 

 beautiful structure formed of the stalks of a few 

 flowering grasses, crossed and interwoven after the 

 manner of other pigeons." 



Captain Sturt tells us how the Diamond doves 

 remained at the Depot the greater part of the 

 winter, and on one occasion roosted on his tent- 

 ropes near a fire. 



The Diamond dove lays two small white eggs. 

 The young are very like their parents, but have 

 fewer and smaller wing spots. After the first 

 moult they are exactly like an adult bird in colour. 



LIFE IN CAPTIVITY. 



The Diamond dove is also known by the names 

 of the Graceful, Ground, Speckled, and Red-eyed 

 dove. It is deservedly popular amongst bird- 

 lovers, for it is a sweet little dove and harmless in 

 an aviary, though if several specimens are kept 

 together they will fight amongst themselves. Some 

 years ago the Diamond dove cost from 23/- up to 

 30/- a pair, now they can be had for about 10/-. 

 A specimen was kept at the Zoo in 1868, and since 

 then this dove has been kept and bred in many 

 private aviaries. From two pairs of birds in one 

 collection 13 young ones were bred in one season, 

 and in Italy even more. It is recorded how one 

 young hen, only 75 days old, nested, laying two 

 eggs, one of which was fertile, but the nest was 

 deserted before the young one was hatched. Dr. 

 Greene states that though the eggs are laid it 

 often happens that onl}' one is fertile. The nest 

 is a very fragile structure, and only about two 

 inches in diameter. My own birds made a nest 

 and sat in it steadily for inany days, but as no eggs 

 were laid I conclude the nest was just for "squat- 

 ting" in. The cock Diamond dove looks very 

 pretty when making love to the hen. He runs 

 after her, raising and spreading his tail like a 

 peacock, and bobbing up and down as he coos. 



This dove is not hardy, and must be taken in 

 during the colder months, say from October to 

 May. It is as well to give it a secluded place to 

 nest in, as being so defenceless its nest is easily 

 destroyed if it is kept with mischievous birds such 

 as Parson Finches and Weavers ; yet, strange to 

 say, a little cock Diamond dove I had (whose wings 

 were injured so that it could not fly) was the 

 greatest 'of friends with a cock Parson Finch, wlio 

 was noted for being a bully in the aviary. These 

 two would sit together, nestling side by side, the 



