156 Birds of Oregon and Washington 



Everywhere, in temperate North America, in 

 the summer season, we may see and hear the 

 bird, which is truly named the " Mourning " 

 Dove. To many, the cooing is too sadly sug- 

 gestive to be agreeable ; but to one who has 

 learned to associate this sound with love-making, 

 rather than with lament, it is one of the sweet 

 voices of Nature and could not well be spared. 

 The devotion of the Dove is proverbial and is 

 used to characterize extraordinary human connu- 

 bial love. These birds are loyal lovers, for even 

 when the nesting-season is over they do not 

 gather in flocks, as do other Pigeons, but are 

 often seen in pairs. 



With respect to this bird, farmers make a 

 mistake, too. Because it picks up wheat upon 

 the surface of the field or even takes some (more 

 or less) after it is covered, the Dove is, in some 

 places, looked upon as an enemy. But no bird 

 does more in devouring noxious weed-seeds than 

 this one. An examination of many crops of 

 this species by the Agricultural Department at 

 Washington showed the contents of the crop 

 of one Dove to be seven thousand mullein seeds. 

 When it is known that a Dove fills his crop sev- 



