112 
N£STS AND EGGS OF 
mon to find several families associating with each other, forming some sort 
of society, in which the most perfect harmony and good-will prevail. 
When captured, either in the young or adult stages, and confined 
within cages, these birds soon become reconciled to their lot, and make 
quite agreeable pets. They quickly recognize their keepers, and learn to 
come at their call. As to the matter of raising them, there does not seem 
to be any great difficulty. The different kinds of bird-seeds, rape and 
canary especially, being very nutritious, can be fed to them with splendid 
results. When vegetation is in season, chick-weed, grasses, and the tender 
leaves of the common cultivated salad, will be found equally successful. 
Care must be taken to see that they are also provided with plenty of gravel 
and fresh water. In confinement as many as four broods have been known 
to be raised. In his interesting volume on the “Birds and Seasons of New 
England,” Mr. Flagg gives his experience. When a boy he came into 
possession of one of these birds. At the time of its capture, it was nearly 
ready to fly. A strictly farinaceous diet enabled him to bring it to 
maturity. As it grew, it became very tame, and resembled in its actions 
the young of a domesticated Dove. This bird was always allowed to 
wander at will. When hungry, it would fly off to a distance, and having 
satisfied the demands of its being, would regularly return to its accustomed 
quarters. At length it grew so docile, that it would often fly to its master 
and sit upon his hand. Other instances of a similar character might be 
mentioned, many of which have come under our own immediate observa- 
tion, but we forbear. 
The eggs of this Dove are of an elongated oval form, nearly symmet- 
rical at each end, and of a pure-white color. A clutch from Pennsylvania 
measures respectively 1.18 by .87 and 1.20 by .88 of an inch. Specimens 
from Texas, California and Maine manifest not more than ordinary varia- 
tions of size. The largest egg, out of four sets which were sent to us from 
the Pacific coast, has a length of 1.21 of an inch, and a width of .86 ; 
the smallest, .97 by .84 inches. The same difference holds reasonably 
true with respect to samples from other localities. 
