Brecdhif) of the Red Grormd Dove. 
37 
darkest variety of domestic fowls' egg. Surely this is an 
anomaly. The shell was glossy and smooth. Shortly after 
I had seen the egg, some egg-thief in the aviary had also 
seen it, and it lay on the ground, with the contents gone, and 
a large hole in the side. The second egg was laid two days 
later, and incubation commenced. Everything progressed fav- 
ourably until July 12th, when it shared the fate of the first 
one. On July 17th, they commenced to build again on the 
outer branches of an apple tree — but the site was a very 
unsubstantial one, and most of the material fell to the ground; 
an egg was laid on the 19th, but it, and the remainder of the 
nest, fell through the branches, The other egg, which the 
the hen laid on some hay, I blew. 
I suppose they were disheartened after these reverses, 
and a long time elapsed before the third, and this time a suc- 
cessful attempt was made. On September 9th I saw them 
pair. On the 19th a nest was completed, and an egg laid in 
a shallow confectionery box, nailed up in the shelter. Here 
again they worked under difficulty. A male White-crowned 
Pigeon, who used the edge of the box for his roosting place, 
vigorously disputed possession, and in the struggle the egg 
Wd3 broken. I removed the White-crown, and everything went 
on smoothly. The second egg was laid on the 21st, and they 
ccmrr.enced to incubate again. Both sexes incubate, and 
they have a peculiar habit of standing in the water, motionless, 
for quite a long time after they come oil" the nest. 
I did not interfere with the Partridges until October 
firh, when I thought the egg would be due to hatch. On 
looking into the box I found a strong dark coloured youngster, 
a}pa)enUy about two days old. On October 11th, the wings 
appealed to be fully feathered; the pens were commencing to 
burst on the head and neck, and the young bird had grown with 
remarkable rapidity. The next day I was going to take my 
last look at the youngster before it left the nest, but, as 
soon as my eyes appeared above the edge of the box, out 
it dashed, and flew very strongly, not to the ground, as one 
would have supposed, but to a perch, on which it kept its 
balance quite easily. I have had very little experience with 
Doves, but I should say that the development of the young 
of this species is more rapid than in the majority of the 
