(_Zenaida Pigeon._—+Bon.+)
_Zenaida amabilis._
_Columba Zenaida_, +Bonap.+—Aud. pl. 162.
_Zenaida amabilis_, Ibid.
[89] Length 11¹⁄₄ inches, expanse 19¹⁄₄, flexure 6¹⁄₄, tail 4,
rictus 1, tarsus 1¹⁄₁₀, middle toe 1¹⁄₁₀.
The open pastures, or the grassy glades of pimento pens, are the
favourite haunts of this pretty Dove, where it walks on the ground
singly or in pairs. In such open situations, it can discover, and mark
the motions of an intruder, and long before he is within gun-range it
is upon the wing. Few birds are more difficult of approach, unless the
intervention of a wall or a thick bush permit a concealed access. Its
flight is rapid and forcible, and performed with a peculiar whistling
of the wings, by which it is at once recognised, though unseen.
The Pea-dove is frequently seen in the middle of dusty high-roads, but
whether they resort thither for the purpose of dusting, or to procure
gravel, I cannot say, as they usually fly as soon as seen. When the
rains have ceased, the increasing drought renders these, as it does
many other birds, more familiar; and they may be seen lingering on the
borders of streams and ponds. Indeed they seem, of all our Doves, to
haunt most the vicinity of water; particularly those dreary swamps or
morasses which are environed by tall woods of mangrove. In the winter
months, when the pastures are burnt up with drought, we may hear all
day long their plaintive cooing, proceeding from these sombre groves,
though it is not much heard in any other situation. The coo consists
of five deliberate notes, loud but mournful, “_Sary-coat-true-blue_,”
all in the same tone, save the second, which is short and elevated. It
resembles the note of the Carolina Dove.
The Pea-dove subsists on various fruits and seeds: pimento-berries,
orange-pips, sop-seeds, castor-oil nuts, physic-nuts, maize, and the
smaller seeds of pasture weeds are some of his resources. His flesh is
white and juicy, and when in good condition is in general estimation.
His form is plump, and his plumage beautifully smooth; though its
colours are sober, they are chaste and pleasing; and the aspect of his
countenance, with his dark liquid eye, is remarkably engaging.
I kept several of these birds in a cage for nearly a year, but they
were too timid to be interesting in confinement. They could not bear
any approach to them, without fluttering violently. They were very
restless, walking rapidly about the cage-floor all day long, invariably
walking over each other, rather than deviating from their course.
Only one or two habitually perched. The Pea-dove has the habit of
jerking the head by quickly shortening, and then lengthening the neck,
immediately and invariably followed by a flirt upward of the tail;
this action my captives were perpetually performing at intervals of a
few seconds, when not walking. They slept on the floor of the cage,
but were extremely wakeful. I have many times crept silently into the
room at various hours of the night, taking off my shoes and moving with
extreme caution, but always found them wide-awake; perhaps sensible of
the light of the candle, even when the eyes were closed. My servant,
however, found them asleep very early one morning, when they awoke with
a start: the head was not behind the wing.
They were jealous of other birds, and, notwithstanding their gentle
physiognomy, irritable and pugnacious. A Cashew bird that was a
fellow-prisoner, they would strike at with the wing, and even if I
myself suddenly approached, the wing was raised in defence. They were
spiteful towards an unoffending Kildeer Plover, pecking at him so
violently as to pull the feathers from his side, and make him cry out.
I fed them with maize.
I have now in my possession a Pea-dove, shot by Sam in December, the
lower mandible of which is distorted by the point being turned on one
side, so that the mandibles cross as in the Cross-bill. The tips,
however, could be brought into contact. It was shabby in plumage, and
in very poor condition, the cause of which was obvious, for, open the
plumage of the under parts wherever I would, the body was swarming
with lice (_Nirmus_); and _a large proportion_ of the body feathers
were crowded with nits to such a degree, that _on one feather_ which
I placed under a lens I counted upwards of 170; and there were other
feathers more crowded than this. I judged it to be a moderate estimate,
that on this unfortunate bird there were not less than 500 lice, and
10,000 nits. On one of the thighs, where they were very thick, there
was an ulcer. In addition to this, two large bird flies (_Ornithomyia_)
flew from the plumage, while I was examining it.
The nest is, as usual, a loose platform of twigs interlaced, with
scarcely any hollow, and no leaves; it is often built in an orange, or
a pimento, and contains two eggs of a drab hue. Near the end of March
we started a Pea-dove from the centre of a lofty Ebby palm (_Elais_)
in Mount Edgecumbe; it immediately alighted on the ground just before
my lad, and began to tumble about in a grotesque manner, affecting
inability to fly. Sam was not to be caught, however; but calling my
attention to the circumstance, we began to peer among the fronds of the
tree, where we presently discerned the projecting ends of the twigs
that constituted her nest, the centre of her fears and anxieties. It
was inaccessible, however, when discovered.