Vo \™ VI ] General Notes. 107 



"pip" notes. For an evening or two a peculiar note, which might be 

 described as a cross between a purring and a mewing note, coming from 

 many points in the thicket, puzzled me until I discovered that it proceeded 

 from Brown Thrashers. There must have been very many of these birds 

 scattered in all parts of the thicket, but I never saw any fly in and con- 

 clude, therefore, that they remained in the thicket during the day. 



In looking up the literature on the Mourning Dove, I find that very 

 little has been published on the roosting habit above described. Neither 

 Wilson, Coues nor Bendire mentions it. Audubon has the following state- 

 ment, which is copied by Nuttall and Baird, Brewer and Ridgway : 



" The roosting places which the Carolina Turtles prefer are among the 

 long grasses found growing in abandoned fields, at the foot of dry stalks 

 of maize, or on the edges of meadows, although they occasionally resort 

 to the dead foliage of trees, as well as that of different species of evergreen-. 

 But in all these places they rise and fly at the approach of man, however 

 dark the night may be, which proves that the power of sight which they 

 possess is very great. They seldom place themselves very near each other 

 when roosting on the ground, but sometimes the individuals of a flock 

 appear diffused pretty equally over a whole field. In this particular they 

 greatly differ from our Common Wild Pigeon, which settles in compact 

 masses on the limbs of trees during the night. The Doves, however, 

 like the Pigeons, are fond of returning to the same roosting grounds from 

 considerable distances. A few individuals sometimes mix with the Wild 

 Pigeons, as do the latter with the Doves." 



S. N. Rhoads mentions "several dozen Doves" roosting with Robins, 

 near Haddonfield, N. J. (Cassinia, 1913) but I have found only one writer 

 who seems to have observed them roosting in the same manner and abun- 

 dance that I have above described. In 'The Auk,' (Vol. 22, p. 150) 

 Stockard in an article on the Nesting Habits of Mississippi Birds, write- 

 as follows: 



" This species is extremely common and in fall and winter they are seen 

 collecting in large numbers. Late in summer they begin roosting in com- 

 pany and many hundred come about sunset to their chosen places for the 

 night. During this season they are shot in large numbers while flying to 

 the hedge or small wood that has been selected as a roosting place." 



It seems from the dearth of published material on the roosting of the 

 Mourning Dove, as if the habit could by no means be as universal as in the 

 case of the Robin. It would be interesting, however, to hear from other 

 observers, and particularly to get further data on the time of year during 

 which Doves roost in common. Is it only after the young are fledged, or 

 do the males roost while the young are being reared? Were the large 

 numbers in the St. Louis roost due to the presence of migrants? Is the 

 roosting habit continued further south by wintering birds? How often 

 do Doves share a roost with Robins? When roosting in thickets, do the 

 Doves spend the night on the trees, or on the ground in the manner de- 

 scribed by Audubon? — Ralph Hoffmann, St. Louis, Mo. 



