iVo.3.] SENNETT ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF TEXAS. 425 



The two eggs obtaiued enabled uie to identify two others that were 

 bronght in Avith a lot of the White- winged boves'. The nest was 

 situated in the forks of the bushes, about five feet from the ground, was 

 flat and quite large for a Pigeon's nest, and composed of the dead 

 branches, twigs, and bark of pithy weeds. 



The habits of this bird, from my observations, differ very materially 

 from those of the same species, by other observers, in other localities. 



In Bull. U. S. jSTat. Mus. No. 4, 1876, prepared by Geo. N. Lawrence, 

 Mr. F. E. Sumichrast says of this bird, as he found it at Tehuantepec : 

 " Quite common in the west of the isthmus ; frequents the woods Avith 

 preference; perches little, and goes almost always in pairs." 



In Proceedings Boston Soc. of JSTat. Hist., June 7, 1871, Col. A. J. 

 Grayson says of the bird as found on the Tres Marias Islands, Western 

 Mexico : '' This dove seems to be identical with the s]jecies found 

 throughout entire Western Mexico, and is very abundant in the IMarias. 

 It is commonly found upon the ground, in the thickest part of the 

 woods ; it also lays its eggs upon the ground, with but little pretension 

 to forming a nest. It is entirely solitary in its habits, rambling about 

 in the woods in search of A^arious kinds of seed upon Avhich it subsists, 

 and occasionally uttering its peculiar coo-oo-rr." "Our table was often 

 well supplied with this delicious game. The flesh is nearly as white as 

 that of the quail, A^ery tender and juicy." 



Again, in Mem. Boston Soc. ii, 1874, prepared by G. N". LaAvrence, 

 CoL Grayson gives an account of habits as follows: "This 'ground 

 dove,' as its name indicates, is usually met with upon the ground in 

 search of its food, or sometimes resting upon low branches, or old logs, 

 and always in the thickest woods, out of which they are seldom seen. It 

 walks and runs with great facility upon the ground, whilst its flight is 

 always low amidst the bushes or underbrush, as if to conceal itself, and 

 not long continued, usually alighting ui)on the ground beneath a massiA^e 

 canopj^ of underbrush, where it continues to walk or run to elude 

 pursuit, or search for its food. When suddenly started from its retreat, 

 the wings Avhir, accompanied bj' a whistling sound, very similar to that 

 of the wood-cock. Its habits are solitary, never congregating into flocks, 

 and only during the breeding season do we ever find a pair together. 

 Differing from all our American doves, it deposits its eggs upon the 

 ground, forming scarcely any nest ; the eggs are two, and white; the 

 young soon follow the mother, before being able to fly, like some of the 

 gallinaceous birds." 



During both seasons that I passed on the liio Grande, I saw this bird 

 upon the ground but once, and it was then feeding upon some corn that 

 Avas scattered in the roadway, and, so far from its remaining near or 

 on the ground, its habit is to frequent the high branches of tall trees ; 

 indeed, on this account almost every specimen shot was more or less in- 

 jured in falling, a number being too much so to saA'c ; and I lia\e already 

 spoken of its building quite a large nest at some distance from the 



