BRUSH BRONZE-WING PIGEON. 73 
Mr. Campbell tells us that in Western Australia 
this pigeon is fond of placing its nest in the fork 
of a grass tree. Mr. Brent noticed that the Brush 
Bronze-wing usually chooses the shady sides of 
‘deep gullies for nesting places. The bird ‘‘breeds 
almost any time of the season, but usually during 
the months from October to January.” 
LIFE IN CAPTIVITY. 
To Mr. D. Seth-Smith belongs the honour of 
first breeding this most beautiful pigeon in this 
‘country, in 1904. Up to this time the Brush 
Bronze-wing’ was almost unknown in English 
aviaries, though one was purchased for the Zoo- 
logical Gardens in 1881. Mr. Seth-Smith has 
given us some very interesting notes on this bird. 
He tells us how he purchased three birds, two 
cocks and a hen, and how from the very first these 
birds were tame, and directly they were turned out 
into his aviary the cocks began to pick up sticks 
to build a nest with, and bow and coo to the hen. 
They started nesting within two or three days of 
their arrival, when one cock was removed away 
and the pair left together. My own Brush Bronze- 
wings when nesting have been very particular as 
to carrying plenty of material up for their nest; 
indeed, this has proved before now an unfortunate 
trait. I tie up nesting tins for my doves, with just 
a small quantity of dead heather in to start them; 
and heather is also thrown on the floor for the 
birds to pick up and arrange in the nest them- 
selves. My Brush Bronze-wings had built their 
nest and seemed sitting well, one or two eggs 
having been laid, when I had to put down more 
heather for the benefit of some other nesting doves 
in the same aviary. The sight of it was evidently 
too much for the Bronze-wings, for they persisted 
in adding more material to the finished nest, a 
proceeding in no way good for the eggs under- 
neath. 
Mr. Seth-Smith noticed with his birds a very 
interesting fact whilst they were building. The 
hen sat on the nest, the cock fetching all the 
material, which she arranged, and often he would 
settle on her back and, bending over her, pass her 
the twig over the head, which she would take away 
from him and tuck in its place, whilst he would 
descend for more; the idea evidently being that 
in this way the nest was undisturbed. 
Just ten days after Mr. Seth-Smith’s birds 
arrived the first egg was laid, and the next day 
the second followed. Like all other of the dove 
tribe, the cock sat during the day, the hen taking 
his place on the nest at night. One egg was 
fertile and hatched, and at first the young one 
received most devoted attention from its parents, 
then came that disappointing experience which is 
the common lot of those who keep doves; the 
parents began to want to nest again before the first 
young one could do for itself, with the result that 
ic eventually drooped and died. This is about the 
worst trouble one has to contend with in breeding 
doves; the building, laying eggs, and hatching are 
easy enough, but rearing the young birds—that is 
quite a different matter. 
\ second time the birds nested, and again the 
same danger threatened, then as the hen seemed 
the worst parent, she was removed from the 
aviary, and the cockbird, having nothing now to 
distract his attention, began .again to feed the 
young ones well. One of, the poor little things, 
however, died; the other pulled through, and 
changed into adult male plumage when about ten 
-weeks old. Even when in the nest the sex of the 
two young ones could easily be seen, the young 
cock showing much more buff on the forehead than 
his little sister. 
Later on in the year, when the weather began 
to be warmer, the Bronze-wings nested without 
any trouble (the hen having been given the second 
cock for a mate), and the young birds hatched 
were able to fly as strongly at three weeks old as 
the first young bird could at six; further, a week 
later, when a month old, these two young doves 
could feed themselves. The old birds, at the time 
Mr. Seth-Smith wrote, were sitting again. 
The Brush Bronze-wing is one of the prettiest 
of all the dove tribe usually seen in aviaries. It is 
so plump and compact in shape, and the colouring 
is most harmonious and beautiful. They do not 
seem to ever get very low in price, and a pair of 
good birds would fetch 25/- to 30/-, though odd 
specimens would not cost nearly so much. The 
cock when cooing to the hen spreads his tail and 
beautiful metallic wings, and bobs up and down 
like the Crested pigeon. 
I have found the Brush Bronze-wings very 
devoted to each other, and to their eggs and 
young. My present pair are a model couple. 
While one bird is sitting its mate will frequently 
sit close by the nest, and I remember once when 
one of the young ones fell out (when only a few 
days old) finding the hen sitting brooding it on the 
floor as it lay dying, for it was injured badly. The 
poor little mother’s heart must have been sadly 
divided, for the remaining young one was still up 
above and too young to be left alone. The young 
birds when they leave the nest are still covered 
with long down-like hairs as well as feathers, the 
latter being mostly dark brown edged with a 
lighter shade, while the down is buff colour and 
stands up amongst the feathers. The eyes are 
very round and bright, and have the innocent 
wondering look that all young doves have—as if 
