146 



LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



and in such they may be quite common, while in others, apparently as well 

 suited, they are, tor some reason comparatively rare, or entirely wanting. I 

 found the White-winged Dove fairly common in 1872 in the foothills of the 

 Santa Catalina Mountains and among the undergrowth bordering the Rillitto 

 Creek, the present site of Fort Lowell, Arizona, 



Both Mr. George B. Sennett, and Asst. Surg. James C. Merrill, U. S. 

 Army, report this species as exceedingly abundant in the Lower Rio Grande 

 Valley in Texas. 



In the vicinity of Tucson, Arizona, it is partially resident throughout 

 the year. I have observed specimens during every month of the winter of 

 1872 and 1873, but they are not as abundant then as in the summer. The 

 conspicuous white wing-patch easily distinguishes this bird from any of the 

 other Doves found in that region. 



The mating season begins early, usually about the middle of March, 

 and the cooing and love-making of the male can be heard and seen almost 

 any day during a stroll among the shrubbery found along the borders of the 

 water courses, which seem to be favorite resorts for many of these birds. 



Their call notes are varied, much more so than those of any other species 

 of this family found with us; they are sonorous, pleasing, and rather musical. 

 On this account the natives keep many of them as cage birds, calling them 

 Paloma cantador, Singing Dove. They soon become very gentle and reconciled 

 to captivity, feeding readily out of one's hand and allowing themselves to be 

 handled without fear. 



One of their most characteristic call notes bears a close resemblance to 

 the first efforts of a young Cockerel when attempting to crow, and this call is 

 frequently uttered and in various keys. While thus engaged the performer 

 usually throws his wings upward and forward above the head and also spreads 

 his tail slightly. Some other notes may be translated into "cook for you," or 

 "cook for two," " cook-kara-coo," besides a variety of calls, one of these a 

 querulous harsh one, resembles somewhat the syllables "chaa-hiia." 



Mr. Herbert Brown, of Tucson, Arizona, writes me: "There are but few of 

 these Doves found in the immediate vicinity of Tucson, but they are numerous 

 all over the country generally. They are not particularly partial to open mesas 

 or bottom lands as a rule, but confine themselves largely to the rough and 

 rocky foothills, covered with the sahuara cactus and palo verde bushes. I first 

 met with this species at New River, on the Black Canon road, about 135 miles 

 north of this place, and I consider this point their northernmost limit in this 

 Territory. There I met with them for the first time, fourteen years ago. What 

 particularly drew my attention to them at the time was their call, which so 

 much resembled the crow of a young rooster, that I remarked to my compan- 

 ion, ' We must be in the neighborhood of a ranch ; ' and it was only when I saw 

 the bird in the act of doing the barnyard honors that I learned my mistake. 

 I have seen many of their nests and eggs but never disturbed them. A few 

 years ago I found about a dozen of their nests in almost as many minutes. 



