COLUMliJD.K — THE PIGEON'S. 



363 



virinity of Fort Stoilacodin, mid f(ir two or tlirec wirk.s tliereat'tor tlicir nuin- 

 l)i'rs were daily aiigiiiuiilud liy an'ivals I'miu lliu north. Soiuu ol' the tlncks 

 tliat lio ^a\v ill Scipteiiihcr, lie .slates, imi.st liave contained at lea.st a tlioii- 

 sand individuals. He was tohl that on liie eiiltivated districts (Ui ( 'nwlit/, 

 Iliver, at the same seasmi, tiiey were in .still j,'reater luiinlier.s. By the otii 

 of Uctdlier all had siuklenly disapiieared, e.vcept a lew stragj^lers, j^cncrally 

 yoiiiin- hirds. In their Hiyhts, l>r. Suckley state.s, they are not (Hiite as eoiii- 

 jiaetly crowded as in the case of the i'asseiiger I'i,t>eoii. Diirin.L; the suiniiier, 

 while they weiv hreediiii,', their co(.iii,n- and calls could lie heard (juite a Iuiilc 

 distance. The iianio of this bird u: the Ni.S(iually Lin-iia-e is " lIul)l)oli," in 

 imitation of their call. In the aulunm tlie.se birds are said to be excellent 

 oatiiii;-. 



According to Dr. Coojier, these rigeons arrive at the t'ulumbia Iliver in 

 A]iril, and lro(iuent all the lorests of tiu! Territory until the end of October, 

 wlieii they retire south. They keep about the borders of prairies and clear- 

 ing.s, and freipiently do much damage to fields of grain, though never found in 

 .sucli immense numbers as the common rasseiiger I'igeoii east of the Missis- 

 sipi.i. In June they lay Uvo white eggs about tiie size of those of the 

 House I'igeou, on the ground near streams or o])eiiings, and without con- 

 structing any nests. During tlie summer they were observed t(j feed uimii 

 wild peas, wild cherries, and other wild fruits ami lierries, which are very 

 abundant. UiU-v in the season they .seem to depend upon acorns and other 

 nubs. Their cooing is very niucii like that (jf the common rigeon. lie .saw 

 noiu^ east of the Cascade l.'ange. 



^ -Mr. Kidgway did not meet with this Pigeon in his route iroin the Sierra 

 Nevada eastward to the Rocky Mountains, along the lino of the 4()tli paral- 

 lel, and it is sappo.sed not to occur in that latitude excejit near the Pacific 

 Coa.st. 



An egg uf this I'igeon, given me liy Dr. Ilohlen, of Stockton, and ob- 

 tained in the Coast Kange, is oval in sliap.e, ecjually rounded nt either end. 

 and of a dull white. It measures 1.4'.) iiudies in length by 1.1.-. in breadth. 

 Another, in the Sniilhsonian collectiun, measures l.Go bv 1:20 inches. 



Columba leucoccphala, Li.vn. 



WHITE-HEADED PIGEON. 



aiiaiihr, ln(cn,-rphfh,, I, inn. Syst. Xat. I, Ur.S, lOt. — n,.xAi.. ,T. A. N. S. Ph. V, 182.'! 

 3(1; .Syii. 110; .\.,i. Oni. [I, LS'J.'^, H, ,,]. xv. -T^rrr. Man. I, :832, Cyi:, ^Iacd' 

 On.. I'.icc;. II, l,>5n4. W.i- V, rw7, 1.1. .Ixxvii; Pints Am. IV, 1,S42, ;iir., pi. .■dxxx. - 

 Ti.MM. Pi- (I (lalliu. I, .I5i). -Oossi:, Pints .lani. 1S17, ■21t:).- Paii;i., Pints X. Am. 

 ].S.-,S, .'iilO. - M.vncil, P. .\. N. ,S. lSli:i, ydl ,say.-: thoiv an. tw„ .spcrii.s). /•„/„,//,>■»./.■ 

 Iriu-ncrph.ilas, lii;icill,Nl!. ,Sy.s(, Av. l,sr,l, xxv : Ic. Av. lal). -li^S ami 25.-.. -^ Be. nap. 

 C'oii.sp. II, 1854, .'-,1. -Oi-M.i,. I'ahan. ,l„.u„, 1850, 107. - Ukicii. ILmab. 04, tab 

 223. f. 1257, 125S, 25.-|, 2S(i3, 2S04. 



