*1915 J Townsend, Notes on the Rock Dove. oil 



rocky cliffs by its inherited objection to alighting on trees, although 

 an interesting change has come over it in Boston at least. Thirty- 

 five years ago I noted, as an unusual event, that a Pigeon was 

 occasionally to be seen on the large branch of an elm tree in Louis- 

 burg Square. In my notes of March 30, 1906, I say: "Rarely 

 alight in trees, but does so habitually in Louisburg Square, and 

 occasionally a few on the Common." In my notes of February 9, 

 1907, I find the following: "Twenty years ago it was a rare thing 

 to see a Pigeon alight in a tree; now there are several places where 

 they commonly alight, and I have seen a flock of 50 in a tree in the 

 Public Gardens. There are two places in the Common where these 

 birds are in the habit of alighting. Single birds or pairs are to be 

 seen anywhere in trees." Since then the habit has continued. 

 The tree referred to in the Public Gardens is one with very large 

 branches devoid of fine sprays — a Kentucky coffee tree — and I 

 have lately counted as many as 100 Pigeons in this tree. Almost 

 always trees with large branches are chosen but I have seen Pigeons 

 on small branches or even on telegraph wires. This change in 

 habit is of interest as an evidence of adaptiveness in a species. 

 It would be interesting to know whether the same change is going 

 on elsewhere in this country or in Europe. 



The flight of this bird is worth studying and has many points 

 of interest. If one disturbs a single individual or a flock on the 

 ground so that the birds suddenly take flight in alarm, a loud and 

 sharp clapping noise is usually made, apparently by the striking 

 together over the back of the upper surfaces of the wings. Wm. 

 Macgillivray x says : " When startled, they rise suddenly, and by 

 striking the ground with their wings produce a crackling noise." 

 The fact however, that the noise begins and continues after the 

 birds have left the ground seems to disprove this observation. In 

 this connection the following observation by Fielden 2 of another 

 charadrioform bird, the Knot, is of interest. He says: "Immedi- 

 ately after arrival in June they began to mate, and at times I 

 noticed two or more males following a single female; at this season 

 they soar in the air like the Cpmmon Snipe, and when descending 



i A History of British Birds, 1837, vol. I, p. 273. 



2 Fielden, H. W., List of Birds observed in Smith Sound in 1875-76, Ibis, 

 1877, 4 series, vol. I, p. 407. 



