The Breeding of Masl'fd Doves. 
223 
after tlioir two failures, Inif I ain glad to say thoy decided 
to " try again." 
They still kept (o the apple tree, hut chose a loftier 
and more sedudeil site, so secluded in fact, that it was some 
time befor(> I discovered the nest. The nest, though not very 
lai'ge ill circumference, was piled up several inches high (this 
applies to all their nests)., and the birds squat down so flat, 
that even with their long tails they are not by any means 
easy to see. Both parents assist in the duties of incubation, 
and they always changed about the same time every morning, 
but never when anyone was watching, and after waiting a 
long time I have moved on to the next aviary to come back 
a moment later to find the hen off and flying about for exercise 
while the cock had vanished— thus it is not easy to find where 
where they are nesting, unless one happens to spot them in the 
act of building. 
This time their efforts were crowned with success, 
and two young ones wei'e duly hatched out. They werq ideal 
parents and looked after the fledgelings well, and the latter 
left the nest in line form. Unlike many other Doves they 
did not leave the nest until they were fully able to fly, and 
there was scaix-ely an.v dift'erence in size between the two 
birds. 
The young l)ear scarcelj' any resemblance to their 
parents save in shajoe and length of tail. I take them to 
be male and female, though neither have masks. The one I 
take to be the hen is slightly the smaller of the two. The 
otliei', which. I think, is a cock bird, shows a little more 
reddish -brown colour on the crown of the head, and a little 
more lacing on the breast. 
The parent birds have ceased to take any notice of their 
progeny, and look like going to nest again. 
[This spt'cie.s is a very shy breeder in captivity, and it has 
bwii a long period since aiij' account of successful reproduction has beea^ 
published, which gives special interest to the above nates. It would 
be 01 great interest if our member vs^ould retain them till adult, and 
then give us age and other details concerning the assumption of adult 
plumage . — Ed.] . 
