HUNTING BIRDS WITH CAMERA 



though in the West they are still abundant. One of 

 the most pleasing sounds of spring is the "cooing" of 

 these gentle creatures, "coo, coo, coo-o," it comes, 

 seemingly from afar, it is so soft and ventriloquial. 

 Indeed it sounds to me quite like the distant hooting 

 of the Great Horned Owl. The Mourning Dove used 

 to be considered a game bird, and open seasons were 

 allowed f6r hunting it. But now, in most States, it is 

 protected like a song-bird, as indeed it should be. It 

 nests in scattered pairs in woods or pastures, building a 

 frail loose nest of twigs, generally in some low crotch 

 of a tree, in a thicket, or even on the ground, where I 

 have now and then seen them. Several times also I 

 have found their two white eggs in old Robins' nests. 

 In late summer and fall they gather into small flocks 

 and resort to grain or stubble fields to feed. They do 

 not hurt the grain, but merely glean the kernels which 

 have fallen. 



