S. Porter—A West Indian Diary



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these birds which I brought home, and found that they were extremely

attractive, being the tamest Doves I have ever possessed, letting me

pick them up and hold them without making the slightest resistance.

I am rather sorry now that I did not purchase more pairs. There is

something very un-Pigeon-like about these birds and I have never

been able to find out quite what it is.


In colour the male is a bright chestnut with a beautiful purple

sheen, the throat and wings marked with cream. The female is

altogether different and might be taken for another species, being of

a pale brownish olive marked with brown.


The Jamaican Ground Dove ( Chaemepelia passerina jamaicensis).

In Bermuda the little Ground Dove is exceedingly numerous and a

familiar sight by the road sides, but the species confined to Jamaica is

exceedingly wild and wary, and on the first sight of a human being

dash with all speed to safety. This is due to the incessant killing

by native boys with catapults. Attempts have been made to prohibit

natives from owning these catapults, but these have been in vain.


This is one of the tiniest of known Doves, being about the size of

a sparrow, hence its Latin name. To my mind it is one of the most

beautiful and attractive of the Doves and should make a prime favourite

as an aviary bird if it were imported. It is smaller and far more

attractive than the well-known Diamond Dove of Australia, which

is so commonly imported into this country. Gosses gives the weight

of the bird as 1 oz. 16 gr., so one can imagine it is a very tiny creature

indeed.


In colour the male is various shades of grey, the feathers of the

neck and breast laced with darker and lighter shades, the whole being

suffused with a lovely shade of pink, the flights are chestnut, the

wing coverts marked with spots of dark blue.


These little birds frequent the open grass lands and meadows, usually

in pairs or small family parties. They are to be seen trotting along

with nodding heads, stopping every now and then to pick up some

minute seeds. I secured two pairs of these attractive birds, which I

brought home with me.


The Active Amazon (. Amazon agilis). Often in my search for rare

birds in my travels I have been singularly lucky and the present case



