86 



MY FOREIGN DOVES AND PIGEONS. 



ridge dove that it is "in danger of extinction, tlie 

 hens are especially difficult to obtain." 



I personally have found the cocks harder to get 

 than the females. I think the latter seem stronger 

 than the male birds. 



Jardine tells us that the Partridge dove lives con- 

 stantly on the ground, and roosts on the lowest 

 branch of a tree; he further adds, its nest is built 

 on the ground, and that the young ones can sooner 

 follow their parents than those "which nidificate 

 at a distance from the ground." "It inhabits 

 elevated and rocky districts, where it runs with 

 great swiftness." It must be remembered, how- 

 ever, that Jardine wrote so long ago as 1835, and 

 old records are not always found to agree with 

 modern observations. 



LIFE IN CAPTIVITY. 



It is some years ago since I first kept this gentle 

 little dove. If I remember rightly, the first two 

 birds I had were never able to fly. I bought them 

 as a pair, being ignorant of the difference of 

 colouring of the sexes, but both were cock birds. 



The latest pair I had should have done well, for 

 they had been used to aviary life in Jamaica before 

 they came to me, but I was so unfortunate as to 

 lose the eockbird; the hen I still have, and she 

 seems strong and healthy, and keeps in very good 

 plumage. 



She is out now for the summer, but must be 

 brought in for the winter months, as this dove 

 cannot stand too much cold. 



The Red Mountain dove is so gentle and timid 

 a bird that it will allow any dove to torment it, 

 and so it is rather difficult to know with what other 

 doves to place it, if you are not fortunate enough 

 to be able to give a separate compartment to each 

 ,- pair of birds. In my case some Senegal doves 

 were in fault, and when I caught the Partridge 

 doves to remove them I was shocked to find how 

 thin the cock was ; he began to eat at once on 

 being put into a fresh place, and I fear he must 

 have suffered without my knowing it. For a time 

 this bird looked better, but eventually died. His 

 hen is the bird I still have, and she seems quite 

 happy and contented, not caring to come much 

 into the open, but passing most of her time in the 

 inner shelter. 



This hen has a mania for nests, and used often 

 to sit in the turf-lined box where the Partridge 

 Bronze-wings were sitting, and these birds being 

 most amiable themselves never resented her 

 presence. My hen is now interested in the nest 

 pans I have put up for my Bleeding Hearts, and 

 I am sure if she had a mate she would nest. 



A correspondent in Yorkshire had two hens a 

 little time ago, and another gentleman in Stafford- 



shire has two hens and a cock. He tells me that 

 one of the hens is so tame that she will feed from 

 his hands, although he has only had the birds a 

 little time. 



Mr. Sutcliffe was so fortunate as to secure four 

 pairs of Partridge doves during his recent tour in 

 Jamaica, and as this dove is getting so rare in its 

 native land it would be well if it could be saved 

 from extinction by being bred in English aviaries, 

 but as far as I know this has only twice been 

 accomplished — once at the Zoo in 1863 (it was first 

 kept there three years previously), and once by Sir 

 William Ingram in 1905. 



All the specimens I have kept were imported 

 privately, and the last time I wrote for some they 

 could not be had. Last May three birds (a cock 

 and two hens) were offered for sale in England 

 for about 60/-, but it is a dove that is only seldom 

 in the market. 



Sir William Ingram has given us some interest- 

 ing notes on this pretty little dove. He found it 

 the most friendly and amiable of all his doves, and 

 even after the hen-bird had to have a toe amputated 

 she still remained as tame as before the operation. 



The first nest built by the Partridge doves, 

 during their second season in the aviary, was dis- 

 turbed by other doves. The nest was made of 

 sticks and straw placed on a beam ; the second nest 

 was built in an old hamper nailed against the wall. 

 Here, though much disturbed, the Partridge doves 

 reared one young- bird ; the second egg, though 

 fertile, did not hatch ; it was a fawnish colour. The 

 young bird on leaving the nest ran about like a 

 partridge and very seldom used its wings ; in colour 

 it was a very dark brown on the upper parts, the 

 feathers being edged with rufous; the legs were 

 light red. 



The parent birds kept much to the ground, 

 seldom flying from the floor of the aviary, although 

 they built their first nest at the highest elevation 

 they could find. This may seem strange, but I 

 have known such strictly ground birds as quails 

 lay a clutch of eggs in a pigeon nest basket fixed 

 some seven feet or more from the ground. 



BLEEDING HEART PIGEON. 



{Phlogocims Jiizouica). 



Habitat. — Luzon, Philippines. 



Lt'?i^f/j.— About TO inches. Shape, long-legged 

 and stoutly built. 



Co/oKnn^.— Adult male — Forehead white shad- 

 ing into delicate grey; back of crown to eyes dark 

 purple; back of neck, upper back and shoulders 

 (coming right down the sides of the neck to the 

 wings) washed with very rich opal tints. In one 

 cock I have the lights change from green to blue ; 



