CHAPTER XVII 



MOURNER, MARTYR, WHISTLER, AND 

 DRUMMER 



Mourning Dove — ^Passenger Pigeon — ^Bob-white — 

 Ruffed Grouse 



The Mourning Dove 



Length — 12 to 13 inches. 



Male — Grayish brown or fawn color above, varying to 

 bluish gray. Crown and upper part of head greenish 

 blue, with green and golden metallic reflections on sides 

 of neck. A black spot under each ear. Forehead and 

 breast reddish buflf; lighter underneath. Two middle 

 tail feathers longest; aU others banded with black and 

 tipped with ashy white. Wing coverts sparsely spotted 

 with black. Flanks and imderneath the wings bluish. 



Female — ^Duller and without iridescent reflections on neck. 



Range — ^North America, from Quebec to Panama, and 

 westward to Arizona. Most common in temperate 

 climate, east of Rocky Mountains. 



Season — ^March to November. Common summer resi- 

 dent; not migratory south of Virginia. 



No sympathy need be wasted on this incessant love- 

 maker that slowly sings coo-o-o, ah-coo-o-o-ooo-o-o-ooo-o-o, 



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