PIGEONS 143 



GENUS COLUMBIGALLINA. 



320a. Columbigallina passerina pallescens (Baird). Mex- 

 ican Ground Dove. 



Wings short and broad, with elongated inner secondaries nearly over- 

 reaching- primaries in the folded wing ; tail shorter tlian wing-, nearly even, 

 of twelve broad feathers ; tarsus as long- as middle toe ■« ithout claw. 

 Adult male: back of head and neck bluish, feathers 

 suggesting scales ; forehead, sides of head, and 

 under parts pinkish ; breast feathers brown cen- 

 trally ; upper parts grayish, wings -with inner webs Fig. 'Jlo. 

 of quills bright reddish brown, coverts with blue 



black spots ; tail nearly even, blackish, except for middle feathers and 

 white corners. Adult female : similar but much duller, pink replaced by 

 pale brownish, blue by brownish gray ; spots on wing coverts brown. 

 Young : like female but duller, more grayish ; feathers, especially on upper 

 parts, tipped with whitish. Wing: .j.^jO-o.OU, exposed culmen .42-.47. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Low er iSouoran and Tropical zones from Texas 

 to Arizona and south through Lower California and other parts of Mexico 

 to Central America. 



Nest. — Small and sometimes compact, of twigs or plant stalks, some- 

 times lined with a few straws, placed in a bush or tree o to 20 feet from 

 the ground. Eggs : 2, usually white. 



Food. — Small seeds, grain, and berries. 



The ground dove is a friendly little bird, staying wherever it can 

 find seeds or refuse grain, -whether it be in town streets, horse cor- 

 rals, or on the picket line of an army post. In the fall, -v\'hen weed 

 seeds are abundant, ]\Ir. Herbert Brown has seen flocks of fifty about 

 Tucson, Arizona, but ordinarily thej^are in pairs or small flocks, 



GENUS SCARDAFELLA. 



321. Scardafella inca {Less.). Inca Dove. 



Tail double rounded, middle and outside feathers both shorter than 

 those between, twelve in niimber, all narrow and tapering ; tarsus very 

 short, slightly feathered above. Adults : whole 

 body apparently scaled ; upper parts brow nish ; 

 inner webs of wing quills nuiinly reddish brown ; 

 tail brown and black, two outer feathers largely 



white ; under i)arts pale grayish pink, changing to bnff on belly ; under 

 wing coverts partly black. Young: similar but duller, and upper parts 

 somewhat mottled bv occasional wliitish tips to feathers. Length : 8.00, 

 wing 8,70-;5.T.'>, tail 4.00-4.40. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from the Kio Grande 

 valley of Texas and southern Arizona ; south through Lower California 

 and other parts of Mexico to Nicaragua. 



Nest. — In cactus, mesquite, acacias, or small oaks. 5 to 10 feet from 

 the ground, made of twigs and grasses. Kggs : 2, white. 



These dainty little doves are more than half civilized. You find 

 them on the roads, in the barnyard, the orchard, and the village 

 street — rarely away from ground trampled by man. They join 

 the poultry at breakfast, and pick the grain that is scattered along 



