CHAPTER XLIII. 



October 16 October 22. 



THE MOURNING DOVE. 



Order Columbse Family Columbidae 



Genus Zenaidura Species Zenaidura macroura 



Length 11.00 to 13.00; wing, 5.70 to 6.10; tail, 5.70 to 6.50. 

 Migration North, March ; south, November. 



"Oh, when 'tis summer weather, 

 And the yellow bee with fairy sound, 

 The waters clea'r is humming round, 

 And the cuckoo sings unseen, 

 And the leaves are waving green 



Oh, then 'tis sweet, 



In some retreat, 

 To hear the murmuring dove, 

 With those on earth alone we love, 

 And to wind through the greenwood together." 



The family Columbidse, composed of the pigeons and 

 doves, has in it about three hundred species, and members of 

 it may be found in all parts of the world. Twelve of these 

 are found in North America, but only four of them are found 

 north of southern Texas and southern Florida. Most of them 

 are found in the warmer regions of the earth. Some of them 

 are strictly arboreal and others prefer fields and clearings. 

 They are short-billed, small, round-headed, plump-bodied, 



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