122 



WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON—GROUND DOVE— GREAT WHITE EGRET. 



a saving clause. I doubt not many — I believe all — of the warm 

 admirers of shooting will agree with me that there is a superior 

 pleasure in making a mixed bag — now a Mallard, next a Wood- 

 cock, perchance thirdly a Partridge, etc. ; loading your discharged 

 barrel, scarcely knowing at what description of game it ~3rill be 

 used : thus a reason for their introduction to England." 



This beautiful species is about eighteen inches in length, erect 

 iiform, and has a handsome chestnut brown color, dotted and pen- 

 ciled with gray and brown spots on the neck, breast, and back. 

 On each side of the neck are fan-shaped tufts of glossy, dark, 

 purple-black, velvet-looking feathers, and on the top of the head 

 there is a slight crest. 



White-crowned op White-headed Pigeon. (Columba leucocephala.) 



Fig. 2. 



This species, well known as an inhabitant of Mexico and the 

 West Indies, is also gregarious, and found in great numbers on 

 the rocks of the Florida Keys, where they breed in society, and, 

 when first seen in the spring, feed principally upon the beach 

 plum and the berries of a kind of palm. From the peculiar se- 

 lection of their breeding-places, they are known, in some of the 

 West Indies, particularly Jamaica, San Domingo, and Porto Rico, 

 by the name of Rock Pigeons. They likewise abound in the 

 Bahama Islands, and form an important article of food to the in- 

 habitants, particularly the young, as they become fully grown. 



According to Audubon, they arrive on the southern keys of the 

 Floridas, from the island of Cuba, from the twentieth of April to 

 the first of May, remaining to breed during the summer season. 

 They are at all times extremely shy and wary, remaining so 

 indeed even while incubating, skipping from the nests and taking 

 to wing without noise, and remaining off sometimes as much as 

 half an hour at a time. In the month of May the young squabs 

 are nearly able to fly, and are killed in great numbers by the 

 wreckers who visit the keys. The nest is placed on the summit of 

 a cactus shoot, a few feet from the ground, or on the upper 

 branches of a mangrove, or quite low, impending over the water. 

 Externally it is composed of small twigs, and lined with grass and 

 fibrous roots. The eggs are two, white, rather yellowish, and 

 as large as those of the domestic Pigeon. The}r have apparently 

 several broods in the season. The cooing of this species may be 

 heard to a considerable distance. After a kind of crowing pre- 

 lude, he repeats his koo, koo, koo. When suddenly approached 

 it utters a hollow guttural sound, like the common Pigeon. They 

 are easily domesticated, and breed in that state freely. About the 

 beginning of October they are very numerous, and now return to 

 pass the winter in the West India islands. — Nuttall. 



Ground Dove. (Chamcepelia fasserina^) 

 Fig. 3- 



This pretty little family is to be met with in the Southern States, 

 usually south of the State of Virginia. 



Nuttall says: "They are common in the sea islands of the 

 Southern States, particularly of South Carolina and Georgia, 

 where they are seen in small flocks of from fifteen to twenty. 

 They are found usually upon the ground, and prefer the open 

 fields and cultivated tracts to the woods. Their flight is seldom 

 protracted, as they fly out commonly only to short distances ; 

 though on the approach of winter they retire to the islands and 

 milder parts of the continent, arriving again at their northern 

 resorts early in April. Like some other species they have a fre- 

 quent jerking motion with the tail, and the usual tender cooing 

 and gesticulations of the tribe." 



11 The Dove, generally speaking," says Wilson, '* has long been 



considered as the favorite emblem of peace and innocence, proba- 

 bly from the respectful manner in which the name is mentioned in 

 various parts of Scripture — it being selected from among all the 

 birds, by Noah, to ascertain the state of the deluge, and return- 

 ing to the ark, bearing the olive leaf as a messenger of peace and 

 good tidings ; the Holy Ghost, it is also said, was seen to descend 

 like a Dove from heaven, etc. In addition to these, there is in 

 the Dove an appearance of meekness and innocency very interest- 

 ing, and well calculated to secure our partiality in its favor." 

 The food of this species consists of rice, seeds, and berries. 



PLATE LXXIX. 



Great White Egret, or White Heron. {Ardea egretta.) 



Fig. i. 



"This fine bird may be immediately recognized by its color- 

 pure white at all seasons, with yellow bill and black legs, with its 

 large size — about three feet in length. The head is not adorned 

 with a crest, but in the breeding season the back has a magni- 

 ficent train drooping beyond the tail. The Little White Egret is 

 much smaller, only about two feet long, and has a recurved crest, 

 lengthened breast feathers, and a recurved train, in the breeding 

 season. An erroneous impression prevails that an Egret is some- 

 thing different from a Heron ; but all Egrets are Herons, although 

 all Herons are not Egrets. It is a term applied to certain Herons, 

 especially white ones, that have long plumes (aigrettes); but the 

 distinction is entirely arbitrary. The Reddish Egret, for instance, 

 and the Louisianan, are not white, while the small Green Heron 

 has long, flowing dorsal plumes. 



"Audubon has a paragraph upon this species susceptible of 

 extensive application, and expressing a favorite idea of mine, 

 strengthened into conviction by repeated observation. Speaking 

 of finding Egrets much wilder in early spring than after they had 

 settled to their duties of reproduction, he says : ' I have supposed 

 this to be caused by the change of their thoughts on such occa- 

 sions, and am of opinion that birds of all kinds become more 

 careless of themselves. As the strength of their attachment 

 toward their mates or progeny increases through the process 

 of time, as is the case with the better part of our own species, 

 lovers and parents perform acts of heroism which individuals 

 having no such attachment to each other would never dare to con- 

 template. In these birds the impulse of affection is so great that 

 when they have young they allow themselves to be approached so 

 as often to fall victims to the rapacity of man, who, boasting of 

 reason and benevolence, ought at such a time to respect their de- 

 votion.' No one unfamiliar with birds' natures, as exhibited at 

 different seasons of the year, and at varying ages, can have ade- 

 quate conception of the opposite traits they display. Even Doves, 

 those meekest of birds — the emblems of ' peace on earth and 

 good-will ' — fight furiously when the furor amantium is on them ; 

 the wariest birds forget to consider personal danger in defense 

 of their young; suspicious birds sometimes grow impudently 

 familiar ; knowing birds appear stupid ; dull birds become frisky, 

 and frisky birds beside themselves, when in love ; silent birds cry 

 out, and singing birds sing all the time. 



"Another point may be mentioned here. The young, even 

 of birds by nature shy and suspicious, require some time to get 

 over their early verdancy and acquire a wholesome degree of 

 caution. Instincts of this sort are undoubtedly hereditary, and 

 sufficiently well marked to enable us to predicate it, in a certain 

 greater or less degree, of all birds; and circumstances of subse- 

 quent experience, moreover, have much control over its develop- 

 ment and exhibition. But, beyond these variations, it is unques- 



