102 MOURNING DOVE, 
The drumming of the Grouse, as described by Mr. 
Thompson, begins “ with the measured thump of the big 
drum, then gradually changes and dies away in the rum- 
ble of the kettle-drum. It may be briefly represented 
thus: Thump—thump—thump—thump, thump ; thump, 
thump—rup rup rup rup, r-r-r-7-7-r-r-r-r. The sound is 
produced by the male bird beating the air with his wings 
as he stands firmly braced on some favorite low perch.” 
The Ruffed Grouse makes its leaf-lined nest usually — 
at the base of a tree or stump, and the eight to fourteen 
buff eggs are laid early in May. 
PIGEONS AND DOVES. CRDER COLUMBZ.) 
PIGEONS AND Doves. (FAMILY COLUMBIDZ.) 
Tue three hundred species belonging in this order are 
distributed throughout most parts of the world, but only 
two of them are found in the northeastern States. One 
of these, however, the Wild Pigeon, is now so rare that 
its occurrence is worthy of note. Less than fifty years 
ago it was exceedingly abundant, but its sociable habits 
of nesting and flying in enormous flocks made it easy 
prey for the market hunter, and, with that entire disre- 
gard of consequences which seems to characterize man’s 
action when his greed is aroused, the birds were pur- 
sued so relentlessly that they have been practically ex- 
terminated. 
The Mourning or Carolina Dove has happily been 
more fortunate. Nesting in isolated pairs, and not 
Mourning Dove, gathering in very large flocks, it has 
Zenaidura macroura. escaped the market hunter. 
Fine £0. This Dove is found throughout the 
greater part of North America. In the latitude of New 
York it is a summer resident, arriving in March and 
