

The Mourning Dove 371 



bleeding dainty, which he devours with keen relish. 

 Those who notice small pieces of blood-stained 

 eggshell scattered under the trees will seldom err 

 in blaming the squirrel for the murderous work. 

 I have many times seen red squirrels raiding nests 

 in pine, fir, and fruit trees, and I suspect that nests 

 upon the ground are robbed more often than most 

 people imagine. I have shot squirrels red-handed 

 and red-lipped from a feast, also while carrying an 

 egg, while more times than I can now recall I 

 have driven the robber from a nest before he had 

 accomplished his purpose. A raid upon a dove's 

 nest will serve as an illustration. 



Before my old home grew many stately pines and 

 firs. As these trees aged, they became rather ragged 

 in appearance, so, to induce a denser growth, and 

 also to supply the green for church decoration and 

 Christmas tree, the top of a great tree was sawed 

 off each year and the exposed end capped with a 

 bit of board. The doves soon found these boards, 

 and were not slow in discovering that they were 

 ideal nesting-places. I used to take the young 

 doves and tame them, for they are most interest- 

 ing pets. 



One day the persistent scolding of a red squir- 

 rel attracted my attention, and picking up the 

 best remedy for such rascals, I stole out to one 

 of the " dove-trees " as we called them. On the 

 nest was the mother bird, and sticking to the bark, 



