CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 217 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



One pair taken in Ontario many years ago. A set of eggs 

 taken at Moose Factory, James Bay, June, 1888, by Mr. Miles 

 Spence. 



CXVII. ZENAIDURA Bonaparte. 1854. 



~3i6. Mourning Dove. 



Zenaidura macroura (Linn.) Ridgw. 1885. 



Appears to be becoming common. A few killed every year 

 in Nova Scotia. {Downs.) Occasionally taken in New Brunswick. 

 {Chamberlain) Taken at ChMeau Richer, Montmorency Co., 

 three specimens at Godbout,one at St. Joachim, and one at Que- 

 bec. (Dionne) One killed in the district of Montreal, in June, 

 1838. {Dr. Hall.) The Mourning Dove breeds sparingly through- 

 out southern Ontario. {Mcllwraith.) More common to the west 

 of London, Ont., than in its vicinity. Sometimes comes into the 

 outskirts of the city and breeds in gardens. {W. Saunders.) Occa- 

 sionally seen in winter at Plover Mills, Ont. {R. Elliott) A rather 

 common summer resident in Manitoba, but rarer westward in the 

 prairie region, though not uncommon. Mr. Spreadborough 

 reports a few stragglers (males) during the last days of May at 

 Indian Head, Assa., in the spring of 1892. 



Never seen in large flocks in British Columbia. {Lord.) Not 

 uncommon in the interior ; more were seen near the coast. 

 {Streaior.) Mainland and Vancouver Island ; nowhere common. 

 {Fannin) Tolerably common summer resident in the Lower 

 Fraser valley. {Brooks.) The writer has found this bird numerous 

 at only two points, between Manitoba and the Pacific coast. 

 These were Medicine Hat, Assa., and Spence's Bridge, B.C. In 

 both places they were evidently breeding but no nests were 

 taken. 



Breeding Notes. — A tolerably common summer resident near 

 Portage la Prairie, Man., breeding in small wild plum trees. It 

 arrives about the first of May. Nest found containing two eggs, 

 on which the bird was sitting, June 7th, 1885. {Nask vide Seton- 

 Thompson.) On July 1st, 1899, Mr. Robert Fraser, of Plover Mills, 

 Ont, found a nest of this species in the middle of his clover 

 meadow. This is the first that has come under my notice of this 

 15 



