-250 ^^.1 TURE-STUD Y RE VIE W [6:8-Nov.. 1910 



;ago. He had a few weeks before expressed a deserted nest to 

 me which he claimed to be that of a passenger pigeon and which 

 looked good — apparently large for mourning dove, and built of 

 coarse twigs and rootlets. The location of this nest was described 

 as in brush overhanging a brook, about five feet above the water. 

 The doctor had not known of the rewards until the young birds 

 had flown. He also described another nest in a white oak near 

 by, which was "fully 20 feet from the ground". He gave the 

 impression that these nests were in heavy timber along a swampy 

 brook. I found the brook fringed with a few alders and other 

 brush and with a few scattering trees along its course, with clean, 

 open pasture land on one side and grain fields on the other — 

 absolutely typical mourning-dove habitat. The nest in the oak 

 was about 10 feet from the ground, and a mourning dove was 

 sitting on two recently hatched squabs. We approached within 

 six feet and drew the branch down so that we could almost reach 

 •the nest before the old bird left it. There was the little bird, 

 scarcely more than half the size of the passenger pigeon, and as 

 plain as day, the black spot under the ear. It did seem, as I went 

 away, that a little common sense and intelligence might have 

 saved me an expensive journey and a day of very precious time, 

 but I am not complaining. 



Despite all discouragements and disappointments we may 

 feel that the season's work has not been in vain. The country has 

 been awakened to the problem and educated in a way that ought 

 to insure the location of nesting colonies of the pigeons next year, 

 if any still exist. I had hoped to close the investigation this sea- 

 son either by the discovery of the birds or by failure decisive 

 enough to lay the subject finally to rest. I shall ask all the men 

 who have offered awards to continue them for next season, and 

 we will hope that some school boy, or girl, may locate a pair or 

 colony of the pigeons next spring. 



The above has not dealt with the many encouraging and 

 favorable reports, many of them from reliable men, of pigeons 

 -seen during the season. I shall try to have these all mapped and 

 tabulated for the December number of The Review. While we 

 have not succeeded in locating any undisturbed nests, I do think 

 it quite probable that we have found the pigeons in Pennsylvania, 

 New York and Ontario, and it is this fact that warrants continu- 

 ing the search for nesting birds another year. 



Not the least valuable result of this first season's work is 

 "the practical demonstration for the whole country that no mis- 



