USEFUL 15IRDS 



177 



THE MOURNING DOVE. 



It is unfortunate that the 

 Mournini^- Dove has l^een so long 

 included amongst our game birds, 

 as it deserves protection, and we 

 are glad to note that by an act of 

 the Minnesota Legislature at its 

 1915 session it was placed upon 

 the constantly protected list. A 

 bulletin from the United States 

 Department of Agriculture (Far- 

 mers' Bulletin 513. lUireau of 

 Biological Survey ) reports the 

 hnding in one stomach of sev- 

 enty-five hundred seeds of yellow 

 wood sorrel ; in another sixty-four hundred seeds of foxtail, ami 

 in a third twenty-six hundred seeds of slender pospalum, forty- 

 eight hundred and twenty seeds of orange hawkweed. nine hun- 

 dred fifty of hairy vervain, one hundred twenty of Carolina cranes- 

 bill, fifty of yellow wood sorrel, six hundred twenty of panic grass, 

 and forty miscellaneous weed seeds. 



The drawing is included here for comparison with that of the 

 Passenger Pigeon or A\'ild Pigeon with which the species is some- 

 times confused. 



THE WILD PIGEON. 



A vanished bird- Several reports from varicnis localities in 

 Alinnesota have reached the University of the occurrence of this 

 beautiful bird so common years ago within tlie confines of the 

 state, but these rumors appear to have arisen either from con- 

 fusing the Mourning Dove with this species, or to have been 

 fakes, pure and simple. So far, the reward of $1,000 for a pair of 

 these birds nesting has not been claimed. The writer has been, in 

 the past, familiar with the appearance of the Passenger Pigeon 

 at the time when it was extremely abundant in Minnesota and 

 must confess to having been startled a few years ago in traveling 

 by train from Crookston to Bemidji, at catching a momentary 

 glimpse from the car window of two birds in flight amongst the 

 trees, wonderfully resembling in size, color, and shape, the Pas- 

 senger Pigeon of yesterday. No opportunity was afiforded, how- 



