194 Carl Naether—Nesting Notes on Bronze-wing Pigeons


to keep more than one pair of Brush-turkeys. If there are two or

three hens the cock will select one as his mate and kill the others.

The mound being ready, the hen will climb to the top, scratch out

a hole and deposit one large white egg, which she will quickly

proceed to cover up, taking care that it rests in an upright position,

the large end at the top. The cock will then drive her off and finish

the covering process. A day or two later she will deposit another

egg in the same way, and continue until perhaps fifteen or twenty

have been safely placed in the mound. The cock bird continues to

guard and add to the mound throughout the summer months,

driving off all intruders in the form of large birds or mammals.

If the day is likely to be hot he will open up the top to prevent

the temperature becoming too high, but if the weather' is cold he

continues to pile on additional material. In five or six weeks,

providing all is. well, chicks will begin to emerge, and there is little

doubt that the cock, by removing some of the material of the

mound, helps them to escape from, the natural incubator. When

they emerge, the chicks are clothed with thick down over their

bodies, but their wings are well developed, as they need to be, for

they have to fend entirely for themselves. They are driven away

from the mound to lead their own lives and find their own living.


The mound used last year by the Whipsnade birds was removed

in the winter, and the material weighed. There were five tons of

good leaf-mould.


D. S-S.



NESTING NOTES ON BRONZE-WING PIGEONS


(Phaps chalcofterd)


By Professor Gael Naether, B.A., M.A.


The first pair of these beautiful birds I placed in a rather

spacious aviary in May of last year. Since they were exceptionally

tame, it was a delight to feed and otherwise care for them. More¬

over, they lived peacefully with Greenwings, Diamond, and other

kinds of doves.


It was not until this year, however, that the Bronze-wing



