NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 157 



The Turtle Dove is distributed throughout temperate North Amer- 

 ica; it is to be met with everywhere, both in woodland and in open 

 places. It is particularly fond of feeding in country roadways. During 

 the breeding season they are found in pairs, but at other times are highly 

 gregarious, though flocks of them never attain the size of those of the 

 Wild Pigeon. The nest is placed on the horizontal branches of trees, 

 on stumps, on the top rail of old snake fences, on rocks, in bushes, and 

 in treeless regions the nest is placed on the ground. It varies in con- 

 struction with its location. When found in small branches of trees it 

 is made of a few sticks, somewhat after the style of the Cuckoo's nest, 

 but if on a large limb or stump, it is often but a rim of twigs sufficient 

 to retain the eggs ; when on the ground, a few straws and twigs are 

 used to indicate the nest. The Carolina Dove rears two, sometimes 

 three broods in a season. It begins to nest early. I have taken eggs 

 April loth ; the late Dr. Wheaton found the nest with young as early 

 as the middle of April. Breeding usually continues until September. 

 Dr. Jones states that he had seen Doves sitting on fresh eggs in every 

 month except December and January, and he has no doubt that they 

 occasionally build nests and lay eggs in these months in mild winters.* 

 Two white eggs are laid ; there are exceptional cases, however, 

 where more are deposited. Mr. Norris has a set of three ; Mr. L. Jones, 

 of Grinnell, Iowa, writes that he has in his collection a set of four. 

 Mr. P. W. Smith, of Greenville, 111., records several sets of three and 

 four ; two sets taken from old robins' nests. He also found a Brown 

 Thrasher's nest containing one egg of the Thrasher and two of the 

 Doves. t The eggs are elliptical in shape and average i.i2x.82. 



317. Zenaida zenaida (BONAP.) [462.] 



Zenaida Dove. 



Hab. Florida Keys, Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, P0rto Rico, Santa Cruz, Sombrero and coast of 

 Yucatan. 



According to Audubon's observations, this species makes its 

 appearance on the islands around Indian Key, Fla., about April 15, in- 

 creasing in numbers until October, when they all departed for the West 

 Indies, where they are the most numerous. Egg laying is begun about 

 the first of May. In Jamaica this species is known as the Pea Dove 

 and in Santa Cruz as Mountain Dove. Its general habits are similar to 

 those of the Mourning or the Ground Dove, and like the latter species 

 it is more terrestial in its habits. It nests indiscriminately on the 

 ground, in trees or in low bushes. In trees or bushes the nest is a 

 slight platform of twigs. Audubon states that this species breeds in 



* Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio, p. 97. 

 tOnrithologist and Oologist, XI, p 28. 



