594 



GAME BIEDS OF CALIFORNIA 



reaching iu tone. It may be represented by the syllables: ah-coo- 

 roo-coo. Under favorable conditions the cooing may be heard for as 

 much as half a mile. It is given most commonly in the spring and 

 early summer months, and then at almost any time of day, even until 

 late dusk. The notes are produced by the male, who is described as 

 appearing quite active and cheerful despite the mournful character 

 of his utterances (Bendire, 1892, p. 140). 



As a result of the equable climate of the state as a whole, the 

 Mourning Dove here has an extremely long nesting season. Sixty- 

 six definite records of the nesting of the species within the state 

 are at hand (see table 19), the earliest being February 9 (1897) at 

 San Gabriel, Los Angeles County, when a nest with slightly incubated 

 eggs was found (Willett, 1912ft, p. 44), and the latest, December 5 

 (1911) at Covina, Los Angeles County, when a heavily incubated set 

 was discovered (Howell, 1912, pp. 73-74). Only the months of 

 October, November and January are lacking in the list, and it seems 

 quite as probable that nesting may occur during those months as 

 during some of the others. 



