The White-lreasted Pigeon. 161 



feeding on canary, millet, and hemp seed. I kept a pair of 

 Virginian Nightingales in the same place, and soon found 

 that my Pigeons were as fond of mealworms and other in- 

 sects as the Scarlet Grosbeaks were. 



After a while they made a slight nest of sticks on the 

 top of a small square cage that was hung up in the enclosure 

 where they lived, so I was in hopes of a brood, but cold 

 weather setting in, no eggs were laid, and the birds fell 

 into moult. I kept the place as warm as I could, but they 

 gradually pined away, and died before spring, evidently from 

 decline. I deeply regretted their losSj for they were very 

 interesting as well as very pretty birds. 



Instead of cooing, the cock made a peculiar noise like the 

 pouring of water from a bottle; while the hen grunted ex- 

 actly like a guinea pig. 



The dealer I bought my birds of said they came from 

 Africa, and evidently they required more heat than I was 

 able to give them, for as long as the weather was warm 

 they seemed lively and happy, but the least cold seemed to 

 benumb them at once. They were exceedingly gentle and in- 

 offensive, and permitted the Eed Grosbeaks to bully them to 

 any extent. I have not met with any more of the species 

 since: but should I do so, I would adopt a different mode 

 of treatment; that is to say, keep them at a minimum tem- 

 perature of 60° Fahr., and give them a liberal supply of 

 insect food. 



