150 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The average measurement of forty-three eggs of this species in the U. S 

 National Museum collection, is 21.5 by 16.5 millimetres. The largest egg in 

 the series measures 24 by 17.5, the smallest 19 by 14.5 millimetres. No speci- 

 men is figured, as they are indistinguishable from the egg of the subspecies 

 following, of which one is represented. 



52. Columbigallina passerina pallescens (BAIRD). 



MEXICAN GROUND DOVE. 



Columbigallina passerina pallescens RIDGWAY, Manual North American Birds, 1887, 



p. 580, Appendix. 

 (B 453, part ; C 374, part; R 465, part ; C 547, part; U 320a.) 



GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE : Southwestern United States; Texas to Arizona and Lower 

 California; south through Mexico (both coasts) to Central America. 



The breeding range of the Mexican Ground Dove within our borders 

 is confined to southwestern Texas and southern Arizona, and probably to 

 southern New Mexico, although there are as yet no records of its breeding 

 in the latter Territory, as far as I am aware. A few stragglers breed prob- 

 ably also in southern California, where it has been taken on several occa- 

 sions. It is quite common in Lower California, where Mr. J. Xantus took 

 its eggs near Cape St. Lucas, and Mr. L. Belding at San Josd del Carbo. 



Dr. James C. Merrill, U. S. Army, found this subspecies abundant in the 

 vicinity of Fort Brown, Texas, particularly during the summer. Several sets 

 of eggs collected by him while stationed at this post are in the U. S. National 

 Museum collection. He says: "The small and rather compact nests are 

 placed on the horizontal branch of a stout bush or tree, and are lined with 

 a few straws. On one occasion I found the eggs in a roughly made nest 

 on the ground on the edge of a prairie." 1 



It was also noticed by Mr. G. B. Sennett at Hidalgo, Texas, and they 

 breed all along the Lower Rio Grande. 



Mr. William Lloyd writes me that he found the Mexican Ground Dove 

 nesting between April 8 and June 1, sometimes under a bush or on an open 

 hillside, and again on a limb or in a fork of a tree from 3 to 8 feet from 

 the ground. These birds are often found in the streets of towns, and espe- 

 cially in corrals where horses and cattle are kept, ranging from sea level to 

 an altitude of 9,000 feet, in Mexico. They are usually seen in flocks from 

 ten to twelve, and feed on small grain and seeds. He gives their call note 

 as "pas-coal, pas-cual, pas-cual." 



According to Mr. Herbert Brown, the Mexican Ground Dove is common 

 about Tucson. He says: "In the fall, when the weeds and grass seeds are 

 ripe, I have seen as many as fifty of these birds in a flock; during the 

 winter months but few are seen, and then only in pairs. 



'Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. i, 1878, p. 158. 



