158 The Passenger Pigeon 



than the larger, and this, I think, shows clearly how 

 impossible it is for the ordinary observer to discriminate 

 between these two species when seen separately In the 

 field. Of course a mixed flock would be a different 

 proposition, but so far as I know the two species never 

 mingle, and, at least In this State, it Is an unusual thing 

 to find the Carolina dove in large compact flocks such 

 as are characteristic of the Passenger Pigeon. In several 

 cases, however, during August and September I have 

 seen large scattered flocks of the Carolina dove which 

 were feeding on weed seeds and grain in open fields, 

 and which when disturbed, gathered into small bands 

 of twenty to fifty each and flew and perched very much 

 like Passenger Pigeons. In one case I saw at least five 

 hundred Carolina doves acting this way, and had hard 

 work to convince a sportsman friend of mine that they 

 were not Passenger Pigeons. Finally, after getting 

 directly under a small tree on which a dozen or more 

 were perched, he was able to see that characteristic 

 black dot on the side of the neck, and was also able to 

 estimate more correctly the actual size of the birds. 

 Yours very truly, 



Walter B. Burrows, 

 Professor of Zoology. 



