PIGEONS. 401 



tinned by those behind, who on arriving at this point dived 

 down, almost perpendicularly, to a great depth, and rising 

 followed the exact path of those that went before. 



" Happening to go ashore one charming afternoon, to pur- 

 chase some milk at a house that stood near the river, and 

 while talking with the people within doors, I was suddenly 

 struck with astonishment at a loud rushing roar, succeeded 

 by instant darkness, which, on the first moment, I took for a 

 tornado about to overwhelm the house and every thing around 

 in destruction. The people observing my surprise, coolly said, 

 ' It is only the Pigeons.' " 



d. The Wild Pigeons have a cooing not unlike that of the 

 domestic birds. This is a love-note, and may be heard in 

 spring. Audubon says: "The common notes resemble the 

 monosyllables hee-kee-kee-kee^ the first being the loudest, the 

 others gradually diminishing in power." 



II. ZENAIDURA. 



A. MACROURA. Carolina Dove. " Turtle Dove'"' Mourn- 

 ing Dove. In New England, a smnmer resident. * 



a. About tiuelve inches long. Tail-feathers^ fourteen^ and 

 bluish ; the outer ones, singly black-barred and white-tipped. 

 Feet^ carmine (and not yellow) . Otherwise, essentially like 

 the Wild Pigeon (I), but more brownish, and with a black 

 spot on the side of the head. 



h. The nest is a frail structure of twigs, built in the woods 

 or sometimes in orchards. Two white and (nearly) elliptical 

 eggs, measuring about 1.10 X -80 of an inch, are laid in May. 



c. The Carolina Doves differ distinctly from the Wild 

 Pigeons in being regularly migratory, very much less grega- 

 rious, only small flocks being ever seen in New England, in 

 not roosting closely together in trees, and in flying when in 

 flocks with a loud whistle of the wing, and seldom at a great 



* A summer resident of irregular in the wilder and more elevated regions 



and very local distribution, common in of central and western Massachusetts 



many parts of Connecticut, on Cape and northern New England. A few 



Cod and about Springfield and Con- are said to pass the winter in Connecti- 



cord, Massachusetts, rare along the cut. — W. B. 

 coast of Maine, and seldom seen at all 



