TURKEYS AND PIGEONS. 35 



Wild Turkey. Meleagris galhpavo silvestris. 



Wild turkeys were formerly abundant over the whole State. 

 They are still fairly numerous in the wilder parts of the heavily 

 timbered bottoms in the eastern counties, but they are practically 

 exterminated in the Ozark region of the northwest and in the more 

 thickly settled regions generally. They were reported as common 

 at Fayetteville in 1883 (Harvey); at Clinton in 1890 (Pleas); at 

 Stuttgart in 1899 and 1900 (HolUster); and on White Kiver below 

 Clarendon in 1906.' During my 1910 trip I learned that they are 

 still foimd in moderate numbers in the timbered bottoms near 

 Blytheville and Turrell. McAtee foimd them numerous at the 

 latter place and at Mud Lake in November and heard that they are 

 still plentiful along Pemiscot Bayou, below Big Lake. A few are 

 reported on Rich Mountain, in Polk County, but in the hill coimtry 

 around Pettigrew, where they were formerly common, all have disap- 

 peared. Mrs. Stephenson reports them still numerous near Helena. 

 If this fine game bird is to be saved as an asset of the State, the 

 open season must be very much restricted and a bag limit established. 



Passenger Pigeon. Ectopistes migratoriui. 



The wild pigeon, once enormously abundant over a large part 

 of the eastern United States, is now practically if not wholly exter- 

 minated. It occurred in Arkansas as a migrant and winter resi- 

 dent. In 1883 Prof. Harvey reported it very plentiful in winter 

 at Fayetteville, and in 1889 Pleas noted the arrival at Clinton on 

 April 9 of three flocks, numbering in all 36 birds. Mr. L. R. Mor- 

 phew mentions the occurrence of a small flock of pigeons near Hot 

 Springs about 1892 — the last ones seen in that vicinity.^ The last 

 stronghold of these birds seems to have been in the extreme north- 

 west part of Arkansas. The last shipment received by one game 

 dealer of St. Louis came from Siloam Springs, Benton County, 

 about 1893,' and Mr. O. Widmann informs me that as late as 1902 

 another St. Louis dealer received 12 dozen pigeons from Rogers, 

 in the same coimty. 



Mourning Dove. Zenaidura maeroura carolinensis. 



The mourning dove is a common summer resident throughout 

 the greater part of Arkansas, but is less common in the mountains 

 than in the lowlands. In fall and winter most of the doves which 

 nest in the mountainous parts of the State move down into the low- 

 lands, where they are joined by others from the States to the north. 

 They are common all winter on the Grand Prairie (HoUister) and 

 in other favorable localities. Hanna saw a flock of 25 at Van Buren 



1 Bacon, W. J. Amer. Field, LXVU, p. 362, 1907. 



2 Forest and Stream, LXVIH, p. 636, 1907. 

 8 Deane, Auk, XH, p. 298, 1895. 



