UPLAND GAME BIRDS 



133 



as food in his own tiiroat. Both adults feed their young 

 by regurgitation for twenty days, and undoubtedly give 

 them water in the same way until they learn to drink, in 

 true pigeon fashion, by suction. The newly hatched 

 Mourning Doves are unique among young birds, for they 

 are daintily formed miniature goslings 

 with goose bill and all. This bill ends ., . 

 in a pearly tip, and the young doves /, 

 are covered with short, cottony, -41 

 white down, through which ^ - -'^ 

 the yellow skin is ap- 

 parent. The 

 mother birds are 

 both shy and 

 stupid, for 

 they will in- 

 variably betray their nest by 

 flying off when, if they re- 

 mained quiet, it might not be 

 noticed. I know of no birds who desert their eggs 

 and young so readily. The mother bird is also a slack 

 housekeeper, and so loosely is the nest built that the 

 eggs may nearly always be seen from below. In two 

 instances Mr. P. W. Smith, of Greenville, Illinois, found 

 these birds occupying old robins' nests, and once he 

 discovered two of their eggs in the home of a thrasher, 

 which also contained one thrasher egg. 



In spite of these well-authenticated instances, and the 

 fact that I have found Mourning Doves brooding their 

 young in a kingbird's old nest thicMij lined with sheep's 



316. Mourning Dove. 

 " A platform of sticks. '* 



