428 i The Plover-like Birds 



of the southern United States, Mexico, the Greater Antilles, and Central America. 

 In this genus there are no black spots on the shoulders, but there is a large white 

 patch covering the larger wing-coverts, whence their vernacular name; the tail 

 consists, as in the last, of twelve feathers. Within the United States the White- 

 winged Dove is nearly confined to the southwestern border, where in suitable 

 locations it is fairly abundant. It prefers the rough foot-hills, keeping much to 

 the shrubbery along watercourses and feeding on insects, seeds, berries, grain, 

 cactus fruits, etc. The mating season begins early, usually about the middle of 

 March, and apparently only one brood is reared in a season, although in the 

 West Indies eggs may be found from February to July. The nests are placed 

 in trees or occasionally in low bushes. " Their call notes," says Bendire, "are 

 varied, much more so than those of any other species of this family found with us; 

 they are sonorous, pleasing, and rather musical. On this account the natives 

 keep them as cage birds, calling them Singing Doves. One of their most char- 

 acteristic call notes bears a close resemblance to the first effort of a young cock- 

 erel when attempting to crow, and this call is frequently uttered and in various 

 keys ; while thus engaged the performer usually throws his wings upward and 

 forward above the head and also spreads his tail slightly. Some other notes 

 may be translated into ' cook for you' or 'cook for two,'' ' cook-kara-coo, ' 

 besides a variety of calls." In Jamaica, Scott speaks of them as being strictly 

 gregarious, moving and feeding in flocks, and feeding especially on the seeds of 

 the moringa or horseradish tree. Here they nest in clumps of cactus and thorny 

 trees and in mangroves along the coast. The eggs vary from dull white to red- 

 dish white. In Peru and northern Chile its place is taken by a closely allied species 

 (M. meloda), which is characterized by larger size, a stronger bill, and narrower 

 light tips to the lateral tail-feathers. 



The Turtle Doves. - - The remaining members of this subfamily are 

 without the blackish spot beneath the ear-coverts which marked the first 

 group. Of these we may first mention the Turtle Doves (Turturincs), which 

 are comprised in six genera and about thirty-five species, all natives of the 

 Old World. By some these genera are regarded as simply subgenera of the 

 typical genus Turtur, but as they are fairly well distinguished it seems best 

 to keep them distinct. Collectively they are known by the absence of metallic 

 spots on the wings, rather broad tails of twelve feathers, and either a more or 

 less distinct dark collar, or rather scale-like patches on the sides of the neck. 

 In the first four genera (Turtur, Homopelia, CEnopopelia, and Streptopelia) the 

 feathers of the neck are normal, that is, not bifurcate at the ends, while in 

 Spilopelia the feathers of the hind neck are thus split, and in the Stigmatopelia 

 it is the feathers of the fore neck that are bifurcated. 



Turtle Doves. In the typical genus (Turtur} as now restricted there are 

 six species, of which the true Turtle Dove (T. turtur] is perhaps the best known. 

 This bird, which is about eleven and a half inches long, is found throughout 

 Europe, retiring in winter to northern and northeastern Africa. The head and 

 nape are ash tinged with wine-red, the neck and breast pale wine-red, the back 

 ash-brown, and the abdomen and under tail-coverts white; there is a small 



