Favourite Foreign Birds for Cages and Aviaries. W. T. Greene
on any kind of small corn: those I had were especially fond of the round yellow maize.
THE BRONZE-SPOTTED DOVE, Chalcopelia chalcospilos (illustrated at Fig. 6), is a pretty, plump little thing, about the size of a quail. It is a native of Western Africa, and has occasionally bred in the aviary. Some that I had nested, but I found no eggs, and suspect the birds were all cocks, as the sexes are alike in outward appearance. Feed on white millet and canary-seed.
FIG. 6. THE BRONZE-SPOTTED DOVE.
THE TAMBOURINE PIGEON, Tympanistria bicolor (illustrated at Fig. 7), is another little African Dove that derives its name from the peculiar note it utters, which is thought by some to resemble the sound made by tapping with the point of the finger on a tambourine, but which is really more like that of water being poured from a narrow-necked bottle. The male is of a beautiful dark chocolate colour on the back and wings, and snowy white on the neck, breast, and belly. The female is generally like her mate, but is smaller, and her white breast is flecked with grey. Those I had nested in my aviary on the top of a small cage, but did not lay. This and the preceding species are decidedly tender, and must be taken indoors during cold weather, which seems to paralyse them, and soon throws them into a decline.
FIG. 7. THE TAMBOURINE PIGEON.
THE JAVA DOVE, Turtur risorius, var. alba, is merely a white variety of the common Collared Dove, which so many people will, erroneously, persist in calling Ring-dove: it usually breeds true to colour, and will live outdoors all the year round.
THE EGYPTIAN TURTLE DOVE, Turtur vinaceus, is a fine, handsome bird, about half as large again as the preceding species, with which it will inter-breed and produce hybrids, which usually resemble the male bird, whose breast is ruddy fawn, back light chocolate, and top of head bluish. Feed on any kind of poultry mixture: it is quite hardy.
The following desirable species, of which space will not permit me to give a description, have all bred in the London Zoological Gardens, viz., THE WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON, Columba leucocephala, from the West Indies; THE PORTO RICO PIGEON, C. corensis, THE PICAZURO PIGEON, C. picazuro, and the BARE-EYED PIGEON, C. gymnophthalma—all West Indian species; and MAUGE’S DOVE, Geopelia Maugæi, which is a native of Australia.
The Turtles, including our common British species, Turtur communis, have all bred freely in the Gardens, and some of them in my own aviary. They are very handsome birds, but decidedly pugnacious, and require an aviary, or at least a compartment in the aviary, to themselves.
The genus Peristera, of which GEOFFROY’S DOVE is a well-known species, contains other hardy and beautiful birds, some of which are free breeders.
I can only name THE CROWNED and THE NICOBAR PIGEONS, the giants of their race, both in every way worthy of the attention of amateurs.
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