No. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. 73 



Zenaidura macroura carolinensis (Linnseus). Mourning 

 Dove. 



A tolerably common summer resident from April to October, 

 decreasing in recent years. Occasionally winters. 



Earliest record. New Haven, March i8, 1882; Portland, 

 April 23, 1892. 



Latest record. New Haven, Oct.. 30, 1897; Portland, Nov. 

 30> 1895. 



Winter records. Dec. 19, 1884, Jan. 20, 1896, Portland; 

 Jan. and Feb., 1894, Lake Saltonstall, East Haven (A. J. G.) ; 

 last week in Dec, 1901, North Haven (Ludington) : Feb. 20, 

 1882, Melrose (Thompson) ;^ Jan. 16, 1883, Saybrook (J, N. 

 C.);2 Feb. 16, 191 1, Portland (J. H. S.). 



Nest. Most frequently in an evergreen, but occasionally in 

 a deciduous tree or in the fork of a kalmia, at the height of from 

 three to fifteen feet from the ground. 



Eggs. 2 ; in May. 



Nesting dates. Earliest record. April 29, 1894, two eggs 

 (L. B. B.). Latest record. July 27, 1889, Norwalk, two fresh 

 eggs (W. L C.).^ 



Order RAPTORES. Birds of Prey. 



Suborder SARCORHAMPHI. American Vultures. 



Family CATHARTID^. American Vultures. 



Cathartes aura septentrionalis Wied. Turkey Vulture; 

 Turkey Buzzard. 



A rare visitor from the south. 



Connecticut records. Linsley recorded it as " not uncom- 

 mon " when he was a child, " having at that period counted 

 twenty in a flock in Northford in the month of August;" while 

 an old hunter told J. N. C. that they used to be very common 

 about the mouth of the Connecticut;* Merriam further records 

 that Dr. W. O. Ayers took one at New Haven in 1853, J. N. C. 

 saw them at Saybrook prior to 1873, Dr. Wood saw one at East 

 Windsor Hill in 1874, Rev. J. H. Hand took one at Cromwell, 



1 O. and O,, vii, 23, p. 181. 



'O. and O., viii, 10, p. 80. 



* Oologist, vi, 12, p. 231. 



<Merriam, Birds of Conn., pp. 91-2. 



