206 INDIAN PIGEONS AND DOVES 



It would appear therefore that it breeds in the hills during the whole 

 time of its visit to them, and that in the plains it only stops breeding during 

 the height of the rains in the rainy climates and during the season of extreme 

 drought in the drier climates. 



It does not breed in the interior of heavy forests and not often in open 

 country which is devoid of a plentiful growth of trees ; short of this it may 

 be found breeding anywhere and everywhere. In gardens, and even in 

 verandahs and outhouses ; in small trees growing in rice, wheat, or other 

 grain-fields ; in orchards, in bushes, in scrub-jungle, or in uninhabited tracts 

 on the borders of forests or thinly-wooded plains. 



Mr. R. Thompson, writing from Kumaon, gives the following very 

 interesting note on the breeding of this Dove : " The Spotted Dove is the 

 most common and abundant of the family in the lower Himalayas, remaining 

 on the lower hills throughout the winter. 



" The nest is composed of from about fifty to one hundred and fifty small 

 twigs and roots laid loosely together, that portion of a bush or tree being 

 selected for the purpose which will give the broadest foundation, no matter 

 whether it be the intertwining of many slender branches or a hollow in a 

 thicker one. 



" The breeding-season commences as early as February in the warmer 

 valleys and continues to the end of October. Two or even more broods 

 are reared during the season. 



" The eggs are pure white and two in number and nearly perfectly oval. 

 The young remain in the nest until able to fly, when they come out and perch 

 on the branches, but are easily frightened out of the nesting-tree by the 

 approach of a person, and not being able to sustain a protracted flight can 

 easily be taken if followed up. 



" The female sits very close on her nest, but if forced from it she will 

 at times fly, or in fact throw herself down upon the ground in front of the 

 intruder, and will then mimic before his astonished gaze all the actions and 

 efforts of a wounded bird trying to escape its pursuers, and thus endeavour 

 to turn him from its nest. 



" In their selection of sites for their nests these birds show very little 

 intelligence, suiting themselves to the first place they find handy, often 

 amongst old furniture in the verandah of a house, cornices of old buildings, 

 low hedges and bushes, or even the lopped trunk of a tree it a flat surface 

 is left sufficient to place the nest on, and often in the most exposed situations, 

 when the wretched birds are sure to pay the penalty of their imprudence." 



Many people, when they notice in what exposed positions the nests are 

 placed, have wondered at the great abundance of this little Dove, but though 

 only two eggs are laid at a time, the hen-bird invariably has two or three 

 broods in the year and often five or six, so that if but one pair escape final 

 destruction in every two or three years it is enough to replace the deaths 

 amongst adult birds, whilst if but one pair escape every year there would 

 very soon be no room for any other species of bird in India. 



The Spotted Dove is one of those birds which often makes its nest 

 close to that of the nest of some bird of prey — a most curious trait ; and as 

 neither themselves nor their young are ever molested it would really seem 

 as if there was some law of nature governing this habit and protecting the 

 weaker bird from the normal habits of the stronger. The nest of this 

 Dove has been found in the same tree as that of the Laggar, a Falcon which 

 preys more upon Pigeons and Doves than any other bird. It has also been 

 found breeding either in the same tree or close beside one occupied by the 



