122 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The type specimen, No. 21068 (PI. 3, Fig. 16), from a set of three eggs, 

 was collected by Mr. George B. Sennett, near Lomita Ranch, Hidalgo, Texas, 

 May 12, 1877. 



Family COLUMBINE. PIGEONS. 

 42. Columba fasciata SAY. 



BAND-TAILED PIGEON. 



Columha fasciata SAY, Long's Expedition, n, 1823, 10. 



(B 445, C 367, R 456, C 539, U 312.) 



GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE: Western United States, from Rocky Mountains to the 

 Pacific coast ; south, through Mexico, to highlands of Guatemala. 



The Band-tailed Pigeon is an irregular inhabitant of western North 

 America, ranging from British Columbia south through Washington, Oregon, 

 California, Arizona, New Mexico, and northwestern Texas into Mexico and 

 Guatemala. In British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, it is a summer 

 resident, and only occurs regularly west of the Cascade Range, near the 

 coast, while east of these mountains it can only be considered as a straggler, 

 due, no doubt, to the absence of oak forests in these regions. It has also 

 been observed in Colorado, Nevada, and Idaho, but it is doubtful if it can 

 be considered as of regular occurrence in these localities. It probably breeds 

 throughout the range thus indicated. In Arizona, southern New Mexico, and 

 northwestern Texas it is found throughout the year. 



Capt. William L. Carpenter writes me as follows: "The Band-tailed 

 Pigeon occurs in the mountain regions of northern Arizona. It is sometimes 

 quite numerous in the vicinity of Prescott, in August and September; at 

 other seasons, without any apparent reason, very rare. It is always to be 

 found in summer in the foothills of the White Mountains, at about 5,000 feet 

 elevation, wherever the oak grows, although not plentiful, and always quite 

 shy. I saw them in this region in small flocks during May, June, July, 

 August, and September, and although not successful in finding the nest, I feel 

 confident that they breed here. 



"As far as my observation extends, this species is most numerous near 

 the mouth of the Columbia River, where immense flocks were to be seen 

 from May to October in 1865, which fairly rivaled those of the Passenger 

 Pigeon, once so common over the Atlantic watershed. Their favorite food in 

 this region appeared to be salmon berries, Ruins nutkanus." 



Mr. H. W. Henshaw, in his article on the "Birds of the Upper Pecos 

 River, New Mexico," makes the following statement regarding this species: 

 "None of these birds nested near our camp, though they probably did so not 

 far away. The latter part of August they were found feeding upon the 

 berries of the Sambucus racemosa, a small shrubby plant from 2 to 4 feet 

 high. Subsequently, when the acorns began to grow large, long before they 

 began to ripen, they appeared to devote themselves exclusively to them, and 



