CAEOLIXA DOTE, 443 



Brownish-olive, glossed with blue on the orowi a-i.lnape; below purplish-red, becom- 

 ing tawny- white on the vent and orissam ; npck .jstallic-golden ; a velvety- black sjiot on 

 the anriculars and others on the wing-oovei is and scapulars ; middle tail feathers like 

 the back, the rest ashy-blue at the base, then crossed by a black bar, then white or 

 ashy-white ; bill very slender, black ; feet carmine ; the female and young differ as in 

 the wild pigeon ; length, 11-13 ; wing, 5-6 ; tail, 6-7. 



Habitat, United States from Atlantic to Pacific. Canada West. Cuba. Soath to 

 Panama. 



Abundant throughout the State. Resident in Southern, resident in 

 part in Middle and Northern Ohio. Breeds. 



The Carolina Dove, also called Turtle and Mourning Dove, is one of our 

 best known and familar birds. Its amiable conjugal disposition and 

 sweet but mournful cooing, have made it typical of several pleasing 

 attributes in song and story. 



Except during the breeding season this species is highly gregarious, 

 though flocks of them never attain the magnitude of those of the Wild 

 Pigeon. They are to be found everywhere, both in woodland and open 

 places. During the breeding season they are found in pairs. The nest 

 is placed in horizontal branches of trees, on stumps, rocks, or on the 

 ground ; in the latter situation rarely, in this vicinity, for the soil being 

 clayey and cold, the eggs are often addled, and this applies to other 

 partially ground-nesting birds which nest early, the Brown Thrush, for 

 instance. 



None of our birds except a few Hawks and Owls breed as early as the 

 Dove. I have found the nest with young as early as the middle of April. 

 They continue breeding until September. The nest varies in construc- 

 tion with its location. When placed in trees it is composed of a few 

 sticks somewhat after the fashion of the Cuckoo, but if on a large limb, 

 it is often but a sufficient rim of twigs and straw to retain the eggs. 

 When on the ground a few straws and dead leaves are the only indica- 

 tions of an attempt at construction. The eggs are two in number, pure 

 white, elliptical, and measure about 1.05 by .86. 



OEDER GALLING. GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 



FAMILY MELEAGRID^. TURKEYS. 



Hind toe shortened, elevated. Tarsi, toes and nasal fossBe naked. Head bare of 

 feathers, sparsely bristly, with wattles and caruncles. A pectoral tuft of bristly feath- 

 ers. Tarsi usually spurred in the male. Plumage iridescent. Size large. 



Gekus MELEAGEIS. Linnieus. 



Tarsi soutellate in front and behind, reticulate on the sides. Tail of 18 feathers. 

 Forehead with a depending fleshy cone. Head and half of neck without feathers. 



