238 A HAND-BOOK OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 



reconciled to the new mode of life incidental to captivity, they live 

 happily with other birds ; here some of them hold their own with the 

 bhimraj and chakur partridges — by no means perfectly harmless birds. 

 The fruit pigeons, especially of the genus Ptilopus, are generally very 

 delicate birds; they should be well protected. from draughts and cold to 

 which they are extremely susceptible. A large moveable cage will, 

 perhaps, better accommodate the requirements of the latter, as it will 

 admit of being put out in the sun, which they much require, especially 

 of a cold wintry morning. A good bath should be provided for all. 



Food. — The following is a list of the principal grains used for 

 feeding pigeons: — Indian-corn, barley, wheat, moong, peas, hemp-seed, 

 mustard-seed. All pigeons do not care for barley, though it is a good 

 and nourishing food ; Indian-corn mixed with other grains, such as 

 wheat, barley and hemp-seed, makes capital food for the larger pigeons ; 

 the blood-breasted and the Australian crested pigeons appear to be 

 particularly fond of moong, but they also eat ether grains and fruits. 

 In captivity most of the pigeons learn to eat bread, biscuits, boiled 

 rice, &c. The soft-billed pigeons are fond of satoo, which may be 

 especially prepared for them with plantains ; for the fruit- eating kind the 

 plantain is no doubt very good, and is always available, but it should 

 be given sparingly during the rains and winter ; some pigeons, such 

 as the Wonga Wonga, are fond of hard stones of fruits, but in captivity, 

 where they are not required to make any exertion to procure sustenance, 

 over-indulgence in such food induces diarrhoea; figs and berries are 

 the most suitable kind of food for the various fruit-eating species. 

 During the season when the fruits of the peepul (Ficus religiosa) 

 and bur {Ficus bengalemis) ripen, no opportunity should be lost of 

 collecting them from the neighbouring trees and giving them to the 

 birds. Green food, such as cabbage leaves, spinage, &c, should be 

 frequently supplied. 



Transport. — For the more delicate and shy pigeons the most suit- 

 able travelling cage is that used for the transport of pheasants (p. 335), 

 except that no padding is required for the top inside, as pigeons are 

 not much given to jumping upward like pheasants. 



Breeding. — Pigeons vary much in disposition : some are extremely 

 shy breeders, but others, like the Indian blue-rock pigeon, will breed 

 anywhere. When two birds show signs of pairing, it is better to 

 place them together in a separate cage away from the rest ; this opera- 

 tion is, however, often neglected for want of suitable accommodation. 

 In former years the crown pigeons were sometimes noticed making 

 attempts at the construction of a nest ; they carried up hay, bits of 

 sticks and other materials to a large box with an open top, fixed against 

 the wall of the aviary some fifteen feet above the floor, and, from their 

 assiduous attention to this domestic arrangement it was hoped that 

 they would breed, but the result was disappointing. They were much 

 worried by the other birds pulling out the materials with which they 

 attempted to build their nests. One of the hens of the common crown 

 pigeon twice laid on the floor, but on each occasion, the egg being 

 placed in a nest, the pair concerned declined to take any notice of it. 

 Of late they have given up all attempts at building, and even the 

 isolation of a pair has failed to induce the hen to lay. The Nicobar 



