SCALED PIGEON 377 



five-thousand individuals in a couple of weeks in one locality. It still occurs in 

 the regions mentioned hy Gundlach, in the mountains of Vuelta Abajo and Trini- 

 dad, but in both these highlands it may today be seen regularly ouly in pairs, 

 trios, or small bands, and probably never over a few dozen in a day — and many 

 days far fewer would be seen. Slaughter for food and sport has already very 

 greatly reduced this splendid species, and it needs now protection, which prob- 

 ably will not be granted to it, and which, if granted, can not be enforced. 



In Porto Eico, in 1912, Dr. Alexander Wetmore (1927) "found 

 the species common in the hills and mountains, where small tracts 

 of natural forest and extensive coffee fincas offered it shelter, but 

 saw it seldom on the coastal plain, where there was in the main little 

 shelter to attract it." 



Nesting. — As to its nesting habits he says: 



It is a common belief in Porto Rico that the scaled pigeon is only a migrant 

 on the island — a belief promulgated, it may be said, by gunners who desire 

 an open season during the entire year. That this is erroneous was proven on 

 March 8, 1912. when without special search I found three nests on El Yunque, 

 while there was no doubt whatever that the dozens of birds flushing on every 

 hand were breeding. The three nests definitely located were made of sticks 

 loosely piled together and placed about fifteen feet from the ground on horizontal 

 limbs, or on refuse piled on large air plants. Two were empty, while one con- 

 tained a single egg, plain white in color with a slight gloss, which was collected. 

 This egg had had about five days' incubation. It measures 34.8 by 26.7 

 mm. At Maricao, on June 1, a native brought me a young bird about two- 

 thirds grown, and said it was the only one in the nest. Gundlach has said 

 that two eggs are laid, but from these instances it would seem that a single 

 egg in a set is not unusual. 



A nest found by Harry A. Beatty (1930) on St. Croix " was a very 

 frail platform of coarse sticks, situated 25 feet up on the forked 

 branch of a mahogany tree. I could see plainly the two glossy white 

 eggs through the nest from below." 



Eggs. — The egg, taken by Doctor Wetmore, referred to above, is 

 oval in shape, slightly elliptical, rather glossy, and pure white. The 

 measurements of seven eggs average 36 by 26.7 millimeters ; the eggs 

 showing the four extremes measure 37.6 by 27.4, 35.5 by 27.5, 31.8 by 

 26.7, and 34.5 by 25.7 millimeters. 



Plumages. — I have not seen the downy young. Young birds in 

 juvenal plumage, in July, are like the adult, but lack the richly 

 colored, scaly markings on the hind neck; the head and neck are 

 " warm blackish brown," shading off to " dark plumbeous " on the 

 back and to " walnut brown " on the upper breast, the latter feathers 

 having darker edgings ; the wing coverts are edged with " walnut 

 brown." I have seen adults showing wing molt from September to 

 December, but I can learn nothing further from the scanty 

 material available. 



Food. — Doctor Wetmore (1927) says that " it feeds on wild berries 

 and fruits, with occasional succulent leaves or shoots. The berries 



