60 MY FOREIGN DOVES AND PIGEONS, 
for themselves and could do without the warmih 
of their parents. [lowever, in great heat one or 
two young ones were reared annually. 
Mr. Cresswell accounts for this neglect on the 
part of the old birds by the fact that having food 
provided and always at hand they are not fatigued 
and occupied in looking for it as in a state of 
nature, and so too readily desire to start breeding 
again at the expense of the young birds. They 
were not deserted till they were 16 to 20 days old, 
and would jump from the nest before they could 
fly (probably getting restless from hunger), and 
either from neglect or damp would go weak in 
the legs, dwindle and die. 
One young one, who nearly died, recovered, and 
at six weeks old could not only care for itself, but 
fly as well as its parenis. 
Zebra doves were kept at the Zoo in 1863, and 
bred there in 1865. In one year 14 youny ones 
were bred in the Girza Zoological Gardens, Cairo. 
THE DIAMOND DOVE. 
(Geopelia cuneata). 
Habitat.—It is found generally throughout Aus- 
tralia (with the exception of Cape York and Rock- 
ingham Bay). One writer says he found this dove 
restricted to the middle regions of Australia, and 
its prinicipal habitat the basin of the Murray and 
its tributaries. 
Length.—About 73 inches, 4 of which compose 
the tail. Shape, long and slender. 
Colouring.—In the male the head, neck and 
breast a soft ash grey, passing into white on the 
under parts. The nape and back mouse brown; 
the upper part of the wings darker grey and 
covered with tiny white spots. The naked skin 
round the eye and also the eye itself bright red (in 
some few specimens the eye and skin is yellowish 
green). The beak is olive brown, the feet reddish 
flesh-colour. In the female the white spots are 
larger than in the male, but she is a smaller bird 
and browner, not so grey as the cock. 
WILD LIFE. 
Mr. Gould's description of this dove in that old 
book, Dixon's ‘‘Dovecote and .\viary,’’ is so 
pleasantly written that I cannot do better than 
quote it. He says: “Its natural flood being the 
seeds of grasses and leguminous plants, it is 
observed more frequently on the ground than 
among trees. I sometimes met with it in small 
flocks, but more often in pairs or singly. It runs 
ever the ground with a short bobbing motion of 
the tail, and while feeding is so remarkably tame 
as almost to admit of its being taken by the hand; 
and if forced ta take wing it merely flies to the 
nearest trees, and there remains motionless among 
the branches until it again descends to the ground. 
I have not infrequently observed it close to the open 
door of the huts of the stock-keepers of the interior, 
who from it being so constantly before them regard 
it with little interest. The nest is a frail but 
beautiful structure formed of the stalks of a few 
flowering grasscs, crossed and interwoven after the 
manner of other pigeons.” 
Captain Siurt tells us how the Diamond doves 
remained at the Depdt the greater part of the 
winter, and on one occasion rvovsted on his tent- 
ropes near a fire. 
The Diamond dove lays two smal white cge¢s. 
The young are very like their parents, but have 
fewer and smaller wing spots.  .\fter the first 
moult they are exactly like an adult bird in colour. 
LIFE IN CAPTIVITY. 
The Diamond dove is also known by the names 
of the Graceful, Ground, Speckled, and Red-eved 
dove. It is deservedly popular amongst bird- 
lovers, for it is a sweet little dove and harmless in 
an aviary, though if several specimens are kept 
together they will fight amongst themselves. Some 
years ago the Diamond dove cost from 23/- up to 
30/- a pair, now they can be had for about 1o0/-. 
A specimen was kept at the Zoo in 1808, and since 
then this dove has been kept and bred in many 
private aviuries. From two pairs of birds in one 
collection 13 young ones were bred in one season, 
and in Italy even more. It is recorded how one 
voung hen, only 75 days old, nested, laying two 
eggs, one of which was fertile, but the nest was 
deserted before the young one was hatched. Dr. 
Greene states that though the eggs are laid it 
often happens that only one is fertile. The nest 
is a very fragile structure, and only about two 
inches in diameter. My own birds made a nest 
and sat in it steadily for many days, but as no eggs 
were laid I conclude the nest was just for ‘squat- 
ting’ in. The cock Diamond dove looks very 
pretty when making love to the hen. He runs 
after her, raising and spreading his tail like a 
peacock, and bobbing up and down as he coos. 
This dove is not hardy, and must be taken in 
during the colder months, say from October to 
May. It is as well to give it a secluded place to 
nest in, as being so defenceless its nest is easily 
destroyed if it is kept with mischievous birds such 
as Parson Finches and Weavers; yet, strange to 
say, a little cock Diamond dove I had (whose wings 
were injured so that it could not fly) was the 
greatest of friends with a cock Parson Finch, who 
was noted for being a bully in the aviary. These 
two would sit together, nestling side by side, the 
