3 
Dove * s 
neaxly under the nest for three minutes (by my watch). During 
this time the Dove did not wink once, while I was forced to close 
and open my eyes just thirty-six times! At length I stretched 
my hand slowly up towards the nest and the bird started off. 
She flew in her usual manner, fluttering noisily through 
the foliage and descending'in a half circle but when within 
about four feet of the ground she alighted abruptly on the 
branch of an oak, where she sat looking at me quietly for 
a moment and then, taking wing again, disappearedanong the 
trees. My theory that, having tried the wounded-bird per¬ 
formance and found it futile or unnecessary, she has now 
abandoned it, gathers probability. 
I was mistaken in supposing the runt egg to be 
infertile for it has hatched . The young bird is at lea.st a 
third smaller than the one which hatched first. I was also 
mistaken in regard to the color of the skin of the young. 
The light was good to-day and having my glass with me (I 
cannot get nearer than within 15 feet of the nest) I saw 
,. . . J „ and head 
distinctly that in both young the skin of the entire body /is of 
a dark purplish brown. This shows conspicuously on the head, 
which is nearly or quite naked, but elsewhere is partially 
concealed by a rather dense coat of hair like down, of a pale 
straw color. The younger bird had the down still wet and 
plastered to the skin in places. The egg-shells have been 
2 
