420 BULLETIN 162, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



taken and various small wild fruits in season. The species is a valuable game 

 bird and should be carefully protected during the breeding season. 



Gosse (1817) writes: 



The Pea-dove subsists on various fruits and seeds : pimento-berries, orange- 

 pips, sop-seeds, castor-oil nuts, physic-nuts, maize, and the smaller seeds of 

 pasture weeds are some of his resources. His flesh is white and juicy, and when 

 in good condition is in general estimation. 



Behavior. — Doctor Wetniore (1927) refers to its habits as follows: 



The flight is strong and direct and it flushes with a loud clapping of wings. 

 On the ground this species resembles the mourning dove, as it walks quickly 

 about with nodding head, and it has a cooing note almost indistinguishable 

 from that of the bird mentioned. 



During the breeding season the males are frequently seen sailing out in 

 circles, with the wings held stiffly, and their cooing notes come from the hillsides 

 all day long. They are also observed at times walking rapidly about on the 

 ground near the females, striking at each other with their wings. 



Between nine and ten in the morning the Zenaida dove comes in to streams or 

 ponds for water, usually in pairs, swiftly flying high in the air. On the gravel 

 bars of the larger rivers they walk about quickly, quenching their thirst and 

 picking up bits of sand and gravel. Usually they are quite wary, but sometimes 

 prefer to hide and let an intruder pass, rather than fly. 



The species frequents open country and is thus the only one of the large 

 pigeons in Porto Rico that prospers with the clearing of the land. In some 

 localities it is hunted constantly and then is very wild ; elsewhere it is quite 

 tame. 



Audubon's (1840) account is somewhat different: 



The flight of this bird resembles that of the little Ground Dove more than any 

 other. It very seldom flies higher than the tops of the mangroves, or to any 

 considerable distance at a time, after it has made choice of an island to breed 

 on. Indeed, this species may be called a Ground Dove too ; fox-, although it 

 alights on trees with ease, and walks well on branches, it spends the greater 

 portion of its time on the ground, walking and running in search of food with 

 lightness and celerity, carrying its tail higher than even the Ground Dove, 

 and invariably roosting there. The motions of its wings, although firm, produce 

 none of the whistling sound, so distinctly heard in the flight of the Carolina 

 Dove ; nor does the male sail over the female while she is sitting on her eggs, 

 as is the habit of that species. When crossing the sea, or going from one Key 

 to another, they fly near the surface of the water ; and, when unexpectedly 

 startled from the ground, they remove to a short distance, and alight amongst 

 the thickest grasses or in the heart of the low bushes. So gentle are they in 

 general, that I have approached some so near that I could have touched them 

 with my gun, while they stood intently gazing on me, as if I were an object 

 not at all to be dreaded. 



Voice. — C. J. Maynard (1896) gives an elaborate description of 

 the sound-producing apparatus of the Zenaida dove, and then 

 describes its notes, as follows: 



This dove, as might be expected from such a musical apparatus, has a singular 

 note. The male perches upon a limb of a tree, swells out his throat, and 



