208 



STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



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ARGE numbers of this bird are 

 found in almost every part of the 

 United States, and most of my 

 readers, doubtless, are familiar 

 with the family. In the spring 

 of the year, all over the country, from Canada 

 to Florida, the voice of this species of the dove 

 may be heard. There is something sad and 

 mournful about the song he sings, and on this 

 account, he has sometimes been called the 

 mourning dove. But the bird is not sad him- 

 self, or at least, I have never seen any reason 

 to believe he was sad. He seems to be sing- 

 ing to his mate, when he utters these notes, 

 and enjoying himself as much as any of the 

 birds that make the woods ring with their 

 mnsic, in the spring of the year. The notes 

 of the turtle dove are four. The first is the 



