THE RUFOUS DOVE. 



79 



though it could fly quite well when they were first 

 put together. 



Meanwhile the pair of Rufous were sitting well, 

 and on April 26th the first egg was hatched. The 

 aviary the Rufous were in was onh' about 16 feet 

 by 63 feet, and in it were also pairs of Solitary 

 Ground, Aurita, and Bronze-wing doves, and at 

 the same time all these four pairs were nesting, 

 and agreeing, except for a small fight just at first 

 between the cock Rufous and cock Aurita. 



The Rufous were ideal parents ; they did not 

 both leave the nest till the young were nine da3's 

 old. The nest was verjf high up, but on IVIay 8th I 

 saw the old birds feeding one young one ; it was 

 olive-brown in colour, with white underparts and 

 grey forehead, a white streak running from the 

 beak over the e3'e. The next day I saw the second 

 young bird ; the one I took to be the cock had a 

 jnuch greyer forehead than the other. 



On May 13th, when the young birds would be 

 about 17 days old, the}" both left the nest, reaching 

 the ground in safety. The Rufous famil}' made 

 such a pretty picture when I first found the young 

 ones out, for all four were nestling together in the 

 straw (put to break the young ones' first descent) 

 in a state of great pride and contentment. Next 

 day one young one went back to the nest to roost, 

 the other passed the night outside. 



Two days after the little Rufous left the nest 

 two small Bronze-wings followed their example, 

 and the four bab}- birds used to sit together in the 

 straw the greatest of friends. Now the young 

 Rufous were out I could see them better. Their 

 length was about 7 inches, their beaks long and 

 dark horn-coloured, feet and legs dark crimson, the 

 two outer feathers of the tail tipped with white. 

 On the wings were light spots or marks (like those 

 on a young Violet dove). These spots had nearh' 

 disappeared by the time the birds were about five 

 weeks old; their foreheads were then becoming 

 lighter, and in one bird especialh' the rudd}' breast 

 was getting very decided. The eyes of the young 

 birds were dark, with a very innocent look in 

 them. 



The poor Solitary Ground doves had lost both 

 their young ones when only a few days old. They 

 used to watch the )'Oung Rufous with hungry eyes, 

 and one day I saw the Solitary cock timidly preen- 

 ing their feathers. When he found the young- 

 birds did not mind he grew bolder, and began feed- 

 ing them as well. It is no wonder that with this 

 extra care added to that of their parents the young 

 ones thrived. 



The hen Rufous, "Millie," was one of the most 

 loving, mx>therly birds I have ever met. Her heart 

 seemed large enough to hold all comers, for she 



preened the young Bronze-wings, was devoted to 

 her husband, lavishing the most affectionate 

 caresses on him, and I need not say was a model 

 mother to her own )'Oung, but she carried her 

 affection further still, as 3'ou shall hear. 



In another division of the same aviary was a 

 case of great contrast. A poor little Necklace 

 dove, just about the same age as the young 

 Rufous, was getting weaker and weaker, its 

 parents in their desire to nest again leaving it to 

 slowly die of starvation. Seeing the poor mite 

 had no chance where it was, I moved it into the 

 house where the Rufous were. I put the little 

 Necklace on the floor, but it was so weak it could 

 hardly stand. I saw the eye of the Solitary Ground 

 cock light up with pleasure. Here at least was a 

 chance, but he dare not come to the rescue, though 

 burning to do so, till he had seen what "Millie" 

 meant to do, for he stood rather in awe of her. 

 She acted very promptly, and at once took the 

 matter into her own hands — or rather beak — for 

 she went straight up to the )'oung Necklace and 

 began to feed it. It was very grateful, but 

 "Millie" was evidently puzzled to find it so weak 

 after her robust young ones, and still more per- 

 plexed when it tried to nestle under her for 

 warmth. She covered it and was very gentle with 

 it, but she could not well stay brooding it on the 

 aviary floor all night, so I finally put the little 

 Necklace under some Barbary doves ; they took 

 kindh' to it, but it had got too weak to recover and 

 died later. 



After the Rufous had left the nest the Solitary 

 Ground doves took to it (the old Rufous having 

 chosen another site), but the young birds came still 

 now and then to their old home, and it was pretty 

 to see one on each side of the sitting cock Solitary 

 — that good-tempered bird seeming quite to enjoy 

 having them with him. 



You will be sorry to hear poor "Millie" died a 

 year or two ago. I found her one cold day looking 

 ill, so brought her into a cage in the heated passage 

 and the cock with her, fearing she would miss him. 

 She got worse, and I then put her close to the 

 stove in the "hospital box," of which I have told 

 you ahead}-. This seemed to do her good, and 

 with great care she recovered so much that after 

 a time I put her back into a large let-out cage with 

 the cock ; but soon after she had a severe relapse, 

 and died suddenly in my hands. She was a great 

 loss — one I can never hope to replace. 



The Rufous lays two white eggs, and the 

 incubation lasts 16 or 17 days. This dove has been 

 kept at the Zoo (two or three of my own young- 

 birds going there), and has been bred in several 

 private aviaries. 



