Breeding Birds of Chatham County, Ga. 135 



each time. Occasionally I have surprised a mother leading 

 her brood across a country road, but upon entering the 

 cover, the tiny creatures disappear among the dead leaves 

 and grasses, becoming seemingly a part of the vegetation 

 among which they hide. It has been stated by several 

 authorities that in the south this species raises two broods, 

 but this information has evidently not been gained from 

 first hand observation, for, unless some mishap occurs to 

 the first clutch of eggs, no more will be laid that season. 

 The Bob-white is an adept at hiding, and unless too closely 

 pressed, A\'ill always seek to escape by running through the 

 dense grass and underbrush, which it does with great 

 rapiditj^ 



Chwmepelia passerina passerina. Ground Dove. A 

 characteristic bird of the Lower Austral zone, this species, 

 while formerly abundant, is now quite uncommon. Its 

 decrease during the past five years has been rapid and the 

 few that now breed are restricted to three or four widely 

 separated localities. From 1910 to 1913 I noted it in con- 

 siderable numbers throughout the county. The cause of 

 its rather sudden decrease is not apparent; the elements 

 cannot be considered as a contributing factor, at least not 

 to the extent of bringing about its almost complete ex- 

 termination, since this bird can easily sustain itself through 

 protracted periods of intense cold, which, however, rarely 

 occur in this latitude. The winter of 1917-18 was the most 

 severe within the memoiw of the oldest inhabitants of Sa- 

 vannah, but even before this the Ground Dove had already 

 decreased to the point of almost total disappearance. To 

 the agency of destruction by man, either, cannot be attrib- 

 uted it's decline from an abundant species to one now de- 

 cidedly uncommorJ, as it is not considered good eating. 

 Neither can the conversion of its haunts to agricultural 

 uses be a cause of its present scarcity, since it frequents 

 and breeds in country of widely varied character; includ- 

 in cultivated fields, where it often breeds, invariably plac- 

 ing its nest on the " hills " among the growing vegetables. 



