186 PASSENGER TURTLE. 



low in their rear, would find his labour completely 

 lost." 



Beech-mast and acorns, produced in incredible 

 quantities by the primeval American forests, consti- 

 tute a great proportion of the food of these birds ; 

 but great quantities of buckwheat, hempseed, Indian 

 corn, rice, hollyberries, hackberries, and other small 

 fruits, are also consumed in their respective seasons. 



They commence breeding early in spring, and are 

 said to produce two or three broods in the year, each 

 hatching, according to Wilson, consisting of a single 

 young one. Audubon, however, mentions, that they 

 lay two pure white eggs, of a broadly elliptical form, 

 and further adds, " It is a remarkable fact, that each 

 brood generally consists of a male and female." 

 Judging from analogy, and the habits of other near- 

 ly allied species, we are inclined to think that Wil- 

 son, who does not profess to have ascertained the 

 fact from observations made by himself, must have 

 been misinformed upon this point by those who gave 

 him the information. The nest is composed of slen- 

 der twigs loosely put together, and, like that of the 

 Ring Pigeon or Turtle, has little or no concavity. 

 Upon the approach of the breeding season, the male 

 pays court to the other sex by sundry and oft-re- 

 peated gesticulations, accompanied by cooing notes, 

 and the billing observed in many other species is also 

 practised by them. The flesh of the old birds is of 

 a dark colour, and rather hard and dry. The young 

 or squabs, are, however, stated to be excellent, and 



