THE RUFOUS PIGEON. 41 
purple, the thighs and underparts light grey, the 
feathers on the thighs coming low down on the 
legs. The beak lead colour, the feet light crimson, 
the eye very rich ruby-red. The hen is much the 
same colour as the cock, but has very little red- 
purple on the mantle or shoulders; she is more 
olive-brown, and her lower breast has a brownish 
wash over the purple; her forehead is a lighter 
purple than in the cock. 
WILD LIFE. 
The Rufous pigeon seems to vary in numbers in 
its wild state according to the time of year when 
the fruits are ripe or otherwise, as it feeds largely 
upon them. When this food is plentiful it is said 
to be common in the forests in Brazil, where the 
natives know it under the name of Gallega. Mr. 
Underwood, in an article in the Ibis on the Birds 
of the Volcano of Miravalles, says this pigeon is 
“fone of the most abundant pigeons of Miravalles. 
Of an afternoon one would see numbers of them 
conspicuously seated on the highest branches of 
the trees standing out in relief against the sky.” 
Mr. Loat, another writer, tells us that ‘‘the wild 
fruits attract the common pigeon (Columba rufina) 
sometimes in great numbers; they are generally 
fat and make good eating.’? Again, Mr. Sclater 
speaks of the Rufous as ‘‘common but very shy; 
found in the deep bush, feeds principally on the 
ground.’’ While still another account of the bird 
says, ‘‘Common in the forests of the lowlands, 
feeding in large flocks amongst the fruit trees.’’ 
LIFE IN CAPTIVITY. 
J think it was in 1905 that a pair of these most 
beautiful pigeons were sent over to me, amongst 
a number of other doves, from Jamaica. They had 
been used to aviary life, and had reared one young 
one in captivity already. If ] remember rightly, 
I understood that this pair of doves—their name 
then unknown to both the sender of them and 
myself—had been sent to Jamaica across in a boat 
from the mainland, from a little place called 
Barranquilla. 
This place was noted for its Panama hats, and 
many thousands of pounds worth of hats left it 
every year, the people paying for what they 
required in hats instead of coin. 
I was so unfortunate as to lose my old cock after 
some time; he was not ill long, and as I was 
going away the day after I first noticed he was not 
well, I decided to catch him and give him some 
medicine, as I did not like my birdman to have the 
responsibility of doing so whilst I was away. 
Whether the medicine did not suit him, or possibly 
being caught frightened him, I do not know; but 
the bird got worse instead of better, and in a few 
hours died. He seemed to suffer from something 
wrong with his breathing, and afterwards seemed 
partially dazed, but as I did not have a_ post 
mortem on him, I do not know the cause of death. 
Before this cock died the pair had reared a fine 
young one—the first, I believe, to be bred in Great 
Britain—for they had begun nesting within a week 
after landing in England. This young cock was 
now almost as large as his parents, and at the time 
of the old bird’s death a second young one only a 
few days old was in the nest. This younger bird 
fell out of the nest a day or two later, and was 
picked up cold and almost dead. To my surprise, 
after a time, the warmth of my hand revived it, 
and finally, under the care of some Barbary doves, 
it grew into a fine bird. When nearly full grown, 
however, it died from some unknown cause. 
This left me with only the old hen and the young 
cock. They nested and several fertile eggs were 
laid—I must tell you the Rufous pigeon lays only 
one egg ata sitting, the egg being large and white 
and rounded at both ends, though oval in shape— 
but after a time the young cock began to suffer 
from lumps or tumours in his face; up to then he 
had been particularly strong and healthy. I had 
this bird operated on, and treated it myself (of 
which I have already told you in the chapter on 
sick management), and for a time it quite 
recovered; but in 1908 I lost it. In its younger 
days this bird had two fits at long intervals, but 
rest and great care restored it. 
My friend in Jamaica had still the odd Rufous 
pigeon that the old birds had bred before they came 
to England. At first he thought it was a hen, 
but finding it was after all a cock he very kindly 
sent it to me. It was a very fine bird, and last 
year I nearly bred another young Rufous pigeon. 
The birds started nesting, not for the first time, 
in June. I supposed it hatched on June roth, as 
an eggshell was found on the floor. On June 24th 
the young bird was still invisible, but the old bird 
looked risen up on the nest. Four days later, on 
going down to the aviary, I found both the parents 
off the nest and the young bird caught in the 
branches. I rescued it and put it back in the nest, 
when the old bird returned to it. I took some 
notes at the time of the young one’s plumage; it 
would then be about 17 days old. Its general 
colour was slate-grey with a reddish tinge on the 
wings; the back of its head and tail were all 
quills (of unburst feathers), giving it a very strange 
look; the head was rather small, the legs thick, 
the feet large. It seemed helpless but healthy, and 
was very ugly. 
Again next day it was rescued in the same way, 
and after this it appeared to fairly settle down in 
the nest. About July 2nd its quills disappeared 
