12 



molt ; while the bright irridescent patch on each side of the neck 

 is the last of the adult plumage to be acquired. Most young 

 birds shot -in the early fall, can be recognized by the fact that, 

 although the plumage is similar to that of the old birds, a few 

 ashy-tipped feathers still remain where the bronze patches are 

 to be. 



The favorite nesting places are the more or less open woods, 

 yet nests, in the vicinity of Cameron, have been found in the 

 densest kind of foliage, namely, a tangle of wild grape vines. 

 The nest is a loose platform of twigs situated in the more open 

 branches of low trees, generally not more than ten feet from 

 the ground, and occasionally even on the ground. F. M. Wood- 

 ruff (Bull. Chi. Acad. Science) says that in areas around Chicago 

 he has found it nesting on the ground in the higher fields. The 

 foundation upon which it is usually placed is solid, a characteris- 

 tic brought about probably by natural selection, since it has been 

 noticed that the loose structure of a nest is inevitably destroyed 

 by storms and winds, if located on a swaying limb; whereas, 

 those nest that are built on a firm foundation will stand a sur- 

 prising amount of rough weather. 



Naturally a shy bird, and extremely so where hunted, they 

 can be readily tamed; numerous instances being known where 

 they have been kept in out-of-door cages, and where if turned 

 loose during the day they will invariably return at night. E. W. 

 Kelson (Bull. Eastern Iowa) states that "in many places this 

 si<ecies becomes semi-domesticated, breeding in the trees in the 

 yard and showing but little fear when approached." Nesting 

 dt)ves are easy to watch, even in the wild state, as at this time 

 they are generally quite tame, and show but little signs of 

 fear at being intruded upon; one can often get near enough to 

 the old bird while brooding to almost touch her before she leaves 

 the nest. The writer has several times stood within five feet of a 

 nest and watched the young being fed. Two or three nests were 

 found during the past season located at a considerable distance 

 from any house, and where the birds certainly had no chance 

 to become familiar with persons, yet here the female, while on the 

 nest, appeared unconcerned at being watched, and could be ap- 

 proached to within a few feet. If young birds are taken before 

 the instinct of fear has developed, and treated gently, they will 



