84 MY FOREIGN DOVES AND PIGEONS. 
nately it was some time before the culprit was dis- 
covered. Again, I believe the fault was partly the 
doves’ own, for they would sit together in the nest, 
and one or more young birds was smothered. 
Mr. Castle-Sloane, who succeeded in breeding 
the Violet dove very shortly after I did, gives the 
period of incubation as 12 to 15 days. I do not 
know how long my own birds sat, for the nest was 
high up, and in such cases it is difficult to note it. 
Through the bottom of the wicker nest-basket I 
could see the young birds moving inside the nest, 
but the parents guarded them very closely. 
On June 24th the first young one left the nest, 
being then about a fortnight old. The old birds 
might have known what a rarity the little nestling 
was, for they were in a state of the greatest excite- 
ment. ‘‘Narcissus’” being left to guard the little 
daughter in the nest, whilst ‘‘Bessie,’? the hen, 
took the small son into her sole charge. She was 
intensely proud of him, and, though really a good- 
tempered bird, her anxiety made her rather 
irritable to other birds in the aviary. 
I was away from home at the actual time the 
young Violet came out of the nest, and only re- 
turned the day after the event, when I found the 
young one very snug and happy on a bed of hay 
in a large (lidless) box that my brother had 
thoughtfully put for it in the aviary, to protect it 
from the attacks of other birds and other dangers 
that might have befallen it. 
Three days after the first young bird left the 
nest the second followed; for some hours it had 
been getting restless, and came down late in the 
afternoon. This young bird was rather smaller 
than the other and whiter on the forehead. Their 
colouring was as follows :—Eyes brown; forehead, 
throat and breast whitish drab; back and wings 
chocolate brown, with chestnut spots on the wings 
(like the spots on a Necklace dove); under-parts 
white, outer feathers of tail white, remainder of 
tail grey brown; legs dirty flesh-coloured; length, 
between six and seven inches. 
The parents took the greatest care of the young 
birds, and ‘‘Bessie’’? would sit in the sun with a 
baby dove on each side of her. I never noticed 
the young ones being fed; the eldest was seen to 
be pecking seed when about a month old. 
On July 11th there was one of the most terrible 
storms I have cver seen, with thunder, lightning, 
and a torrent of very heavy rain. I hurried down 
to the aviary only to find the baby cock thoroughly 
enjoying himself and spreading out one tiny wing 
to catch the rain. Both young birds got very wet, 
but took no harm. The wing spots in the young 
birds had almost disappeared by July 21st, and 
about ten days earlier the sheen had begun to come 
in the neck of the elder bird, and the violet side- 
neck patch to show; by the end of July there was 
not much difference between the old and young 
birds. 
Both the old and young Violet doves were very 
fond of shelled and cut-up peanuts, and it was by 
this inducement that I managed to take their 
photograph. The bird in the foreground is ‘‘Nar- 
cissus,’’ but it does not do him justice. 
The Violet doves nested again, but both young 
died in the nest; they looked as if they had been 
crushed—possibly they were smothered by the old 
birds sitting together. ‘‘Narcissus’’ came to a sad 
end about 5 years later. He was fought by 
another dove (I suspect a Bleeding Heart) and both 
his beautiful cyes blinded. He only lived a few 
days, for his spirit seemed quite broken, and he 
would not eat. 
The young hen also died in au tragic way, in 
1904. I was setting the trap-cage to catch a 
canary, and left the trap open and baited. As a 
rule the birds soon learn to go in and out, but 
apparently the young hen Violet would not feed. 
She was found dead, and I was quite at a loss to 
know from what cause. To my surprise and 
distress a post-mortem revealed the fact that she 
had died of hunger. I have never cared to use 
the trap-cage since, but prefer to catch the birds 
by hand. 
Since the days of ‘‘Narcissus’’ I have had several 
importations of doves privately sent me from 
Jamaica. I shall never forget what a lovely sight 
about 14 or more Violet doves are when seen 
together. I have never bred any since my first 
two, though I once nearly reared a pair under 
some Barbary doves. 
The Violet is « hardy dove; it was first kept at 
the Zoo in 1867; the value varies very much, but 
I should consider a good pair worth 25/- to 30/- 
or more. I paid 42 for a pair of birds in very bad 
feather some years ago, 
WELLS’ DOVE. 
(Leptoptila Wellsi). 
fHabilat.—Grenada, Antilles, the Island of 
Tobago. 
Length.—About 10 inches. Shape, well pro- 
portioned. 
Colouring.—Adult male—The upper parts glossy 
olive, hind part of head and nape dark olive brown, 
washed with purple; forehead pinky white, shading 
into grey on the crown; chin and upper part of 
throat pure white; lower throat, cheeks, and upper 
breast dull vinous; lower breast and under parts 
white; wings and tail olive brown, feet crimson, 
bill black, the naked skin round the eye blue. The 
