GRAVE BABY DOVES. 197 



red-heads, who, as well as himself, took corn for 

 breakfast, and I set out to look him up. At 

 first the whole family seemed to consist of the 

 young, just flying about, sometimes accompanied 

 by their mother. Apparently the fathers of the 

 race were all off in the cooing business. 



So early as the second of June I came upon 

 my first pair of young doves, two charming little 

 creatures, sitting placidly side by side. Grave, 

 indeed, and very much grown-up looked these 

 drab-coated little folk, silent and motionless, 

 returning my gaze with an innocent openness 

 that, it seemed to me, must disarm their most 

 bitter enemy. When I came upon such a pair, 

 as I frequently did, on the low branch of an 

 apple-tree or a limb of their native cedar, I 

 stopped instantly to look at them. Not an eye- 

 lid of the youngsters would move ; if a head 

 were turned as they heard me coming, it would 

 remain at precisely that angle as long as I had 

 patience to stay. They were invariably sitting 

 down with the appearance of being prepared to 

 stay all day, and almost always side by side, 

 though looking in different directions, and one 

 was always larger than the other. A lovely 

 and picturesque group they never failed to 

 make, and as for any show of hunger or impa- 

 tience, one could hardly imagine they ever felt 

 either. In every way they were a violent con- 



