Breeding of Hybrid Doves. i8i 
the liyl)rid and the cock Diamond were missing. Both returned 
next day and also the following day. The Diamond, being 
very hungry, I caught fairly easily, but the Turtle, although a 
very tame bird, 1 could not trap. Her mate called in vain, and 
nuich to my surprise took charge of the baby and fed and 
brooded it splendidly. At the time of writing it is three months 
old and a very fine bird. At present I do not know its sex, but 
hope it will turn out a hen. Instead of being like the one reared 
last year it takes after the mother and is best described as an 
English Turtle Dove with a faint Vinaceous wash over the 
plumage; eyes as in the hrst hybrid, light hazel. If it were seen 
feeding with the Common Turtle Dove in our fields it would 
probably not be noticed. It seems strange to me, but possibly 
not to other members who have had more experience with doves 
than I have, that a pair of birds in sound, vigorous health 
sliould only have these two fertile eggs in five clutches. They 
had a variety of seeds to choose from — small corn mixture, 
canary, rape, hemp, and brown and white millet which was the 
staple food of the other inmates of the aviary, soft food, and 
plenty of insect life in the shrubs planted in the aviary flight. 
If this year's hybrid should prove to be a hen I intend leaving 
the brother and sister hybrids in the aviary to see if they will 
nest next year. It will be interesting to see if the eggs are 
fertile and also if the young, if hatched, will throw back to the 
grandfather or grandmother. A few articles from other mem- 
bers on hybrids, would. I am sure, be of great interest, and 
where members live in all corners of the British Isles and also 
abroad, it is only by sending copy to our Journal that we can 
get in touch with each other. Many little episodes in our 
aviaries, although perhaps they seem cjuite coinmon-place , may 
be of great interest to others, and also in many cases give other 
members a chance of comparing the successes or otherwise 
which they themselves have experienced. 
0 
Notes on some Conures. 
By Lawrence Pullar, F.Z.S. 
For some years I was rather prejudiced against Conures, 
owing to the bad reputation which is given them in most books. 
