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THE OOLOGIST 



Ground Doves Breeding in 

 Confinement. 

 Dear "Oologist:" 



During the summer I was about to 

 write to you as I was very happy. I 

 was in Florida and Cuba last March 

 and brought home a dozen Ground 

 Doves. I had them in my yard in a 

 large cage filled with brush in which 

 I made some small nests. You can 

 imagine my joy one morning when I 

 saw a dove on the nest; they stuck to 

 it for four days. When Monday came 

 and while I was at work the wash 

 woman hung some clothes close to 

 the cage and the wind blew them so 

 they left the nest, much to my disap- 

 pointment. About a week later they 

 were around the nest again and the 

 next morning the little hen was on 

 the nest. At noon when I got home 

 the cock bird was on with apparently 

 no fear of my coming up to the cage 

 And there they stuck taking theii 

 turns just the same as the tame 

 pigeons. The female went on about 

 4 p. m. and the male about 8 a. m. 

 They never gave me a peek at what 

 they had under them for two weeks, 

 until one day the feed was a little 

 short and when I fed the next morning 

 the little hen got off the nest a few 

 minutes for breakfast, and I saw four 

 eggs in the nest; and only fellows like 

 yourself can understand how happy 

 I was. The twenty-first day came but 

 nothing could I see, for she kept as 

 close to the nest as ever even though 

 I went within two feet of them. But 

 the next morning I saw a shell on the 

 floor and the even cut with the third 

 of the egg gone I knew at least one 

 had hatched. For two weeks I watch- 

 ed, then one noon when I put seed in, 

 the little cock bird got off and one 

 young ground dove covered with yel- 

 low down was in sight. It grew so 

 fast that at four weeks was so large 

 that the old ones could hardly cover 



it. The color of the feathers began 

 to show and some nights they all went 

 up in the top of the cage to roost and 

 left the little fellow uncovered. One 

 morning when I awoke there was a 

 nasty northeast cold rain storm com- 

 ing from Lake Michigan. I did not 

 wait to dress much, but it was too late 

 long before I got there. My young 

 dove was dead. I didn't say anything 

 because I couldn't do the subject jus- 

 tice; I had about raised a ground dove 

 in captivity, which every body had 

 told me was impossible. Next year I 

 will be on my new place with plenty 

 of room, and, — I'll win. 



Wm. I. Lyon. 

 Waukegan, Ills. 



An Oological Paradise. 



One of the best collecting grounds 

 that has come under my observation 

 is I. F. Arnow's ideal home in Cam- 

 den Co., Ga. It is situated about two 

 miles from St. Mary's, Ga., and about 

 three miles from the Florida line, and 

 right in the path of the migration. It 

 has been my good fortune to spend a 

 few days with him for the last three 

 years and this past season I went 

 down in May and found I was too late 

 for some things and too soon for oth- 

 ers. 



Arnow's home faces the east near a 

 creek that flows into the St. Marys 

 and, Crandel, the nearest point in 

 Florida is about two miles across the 

 marsh. The woods are very thick and 

 abundant with oak, hickory, sweet 

 gum, walnut and other trees. The un- 

 dergrowth is composed of Myrtle Par- 

 kle Berry, Palmats and thick vines, 

 and a better breeding ground I have 

 never seen. 



In the yard and near the house this 

 season was found the following nests: 

 Yellow throated Vireo, Blue Gray, 

 Gnatcatcher, and Carolina Wrens, 

 nesting in the flower pots on the porch 



