BREWSTER : BIRDS OF THE CAPE REGION, LOWER CALIFORNIA. 77 



Cohimba fasciata vioscae Brewstek, Auk, V. 1888, 86 (orig. descr. ; type from La 

 Laguna). A. O. U. Comm., Suppl. to Check List, 1889, 8; Check List, 

 abridged ed., 1889, and 2d ed., 1895, no. 312 a. Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. 

 Sci., 2d ser., II. 1889, 277 (Cape St. Lucas; Miratlores ; Victoria Mts.) ; 

 Zee, IL 1891, 198 (Victoria Mts.). Bendire, Life Hist. N. Amer. Birds, 

 pt. L 1892, 127, 128, pi. 3, fig. 18 (descr. nest and egg from near Pierce's 

 Ranch, Lower Calif.). Codes, Key N. Amer. Birds, 4th ed., 1894, 904 

 (descr.; Lower Calif.). Ridgway, Man. N. Amer. Birds, 2d ed., 1896, 591 

 (descr.; a. portions of Lower Calif.). 



Columha vioscae Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XXI. 1893, 293, 294 (quotes 

 orig. descr.; San Jose del Rancho ; Lower Calif.). 



[Culumha] vioscae Sharpe, Hand-list, 1. 1899, 70. 



This Pigeon seems to be strictly confinetl to the Cape Region, for neither Mr. 

 Brvant nor Mr. Anthony has succeeded in finding it in the central or northern 

 portions of the Peninsula where true fasciata is also apparently wanting. 



On reaching the summit of the Sierra de la Laguna, on April 26, 1887, Mr. 

 Frazar saw his first Viosca's Pigeons. At this date they were not numerous, 

 nor did they become so until May 15, when they began cooing. During the 

 latter part of May they were abundant, although still in flocks, some of which 

 contained upwards of fifty birds each. They continued to increase in numbers 

 up to the date of Mr. Frazar's departure — June 9. A female taken on June 3 

 had apparently laid one egg and was certainly about to lay another. This was 

 the only instance of breeding noted here. The people living in the neighbor- 

 hood asserted that eggs were seldom found before August, and that the number 

 in a nest varies from one to two. 



At San Jose del Rancho Viosca's Pigeons were numerous in July, feeding 

 "reedily on wild grapes, which were ripe by the 5th of the month. The 

 owner of this ranch said that the birds had first appeared there about the mid- 

 dle of May. They apparently did not begin breeding until the middle of July, 

 when a nest containing one egg was reported by a hunter. Mr. Frazar visited 

 this nest on July 22 and found it empty, but a broken egg was lying on the 

 croand beneath. On the 27th a perfect egg was taken from the oviduct of a 

 bird. By the last of July most of the Pigeons had left the neighborhood, 

 "owing probably to the grapes having gone by." 



At San Jose del Cabo large flocks were observed in September passing south- 

 ward. Mr. Frazar believes that the majority left Lower California that season 

 before winter set in, although he saw a few on November 15 along the road 

 between San Jose and Miraflores and others at San Jose del Rancho, Decem- 

 ber 18-25. None were found on the Sierra de la Laguna between November 

 27 and December 2. 



The note of this Pigeon seemed to Mr. Frazar " more the hoo of an Owl than 

 the coo of a Dove. It is given twice, and is low and deep in tone. The birds 

 fly in compact flocks but not as swiftly as the White-winged Doves." 



Mr. Belding found i Viosca's Pigeon " abundant and breeding in February " 



1 Loc. cit. 



