WHITE-CEOWNED PIGEON" 371 



C. J. Maynard (1896) describes an abandoned nesting colony in the 

 Bahamas as follows: 



One of the most remarkable sights that I ever witnessed as regards numbers 

 of birds' nests was on one of the Washerwomen Keys off the South shore of 

 Andros. These are small, rocky islets, lying on the barrier reef, and are some 

 twenty-five feet high. On one of these little keys, which did not contain over an 

 acre of land, there were at least ten thousand nests of the White-headed Pigeon. 

 The rocks were mostly covered with a scanty growth of low bushes and with a 

 more luxuriant growth of cacti, and upon both plants and bushes the birds had 

 placed their nests, and some were upon elevated portions of rock, while a few 

 were placed upon the naked ground. So completely covered was the southern 

 and northern portion of the key that the nests were nowhere over two feet apart 

 and often nearer together than that. Unfortunately, however, all of these nests 

 were of the previous year, only a single dove being seen. My boatmen informed 

 me that this rookery was occupied by many thousand birds during the past year, 

 and that the spongers were accustomed to visit the place at night and capture the 

 sitting birds. This statement was confirmed by the remains of torches which 

 were scattered about the island. Many nests contained eggshells, the contents 

 of which had been removed by Buzzards, Man-of-war birds or Gulls. The time 

 of this visit was May 8th, 1884. 



On the Isle of Pines, W. E. Clyde Todd (1916) says that "the 

 nest is usually built in the top of a royal palm, but along the Los 

 Indios River the birds were found nesting in the mangroves, rather 

 low down." 



Dr. Paul Bartsch writes to me that the nests he found on San 

 Salvador 



were all placed in mangrove clumps such as are shown in the habitat photo- 

 graph. These clumps stood out in the lakes at some distance from shore and 

 furnished splendid protection. Furthermore, as a rule, there was a gray 

 kingbird's nest in the top branches of these clumps, and the kingbird served as 

 an alarmist. The birds were exceedingly shy, regardless of whether they were 

 incubating eggs or taking care of young. 



Eggs. — The white-crowned pigeon ordinarily lays two eggs, but 

 sometimes only one. The eggs are elliptical oval or nearly oval, pure 

 white, smooth, and quite glossy. The measurements of 35 eggs aver- 

 age 36.8 by 27 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes 

 measure 40.2 by 28.4, 39.4 by 29.5, 32.3 by 26.2, and 36.8 by 25.2 

 millimeters. 



Plumages. — I have not seen the downy young of this pigeon, but 

 Doctor Bartsch tells me that the down is of a " light buff color." 

 Audubon (1840) says: 



The young birds are at first almost black, but have tufts of a soft buff -coloured 

 down distributed mostly over the head and shoulders. While yet squabs they 

 have no appearance of white on the head, and they take about four months 

 before they acquire their perfect plumage. Smaller size, and a less degree of 

 brilliancy, distinguished the female from the male. 



