604 GAME BIRDS OF, CALIFORNIA 



Egg^ — Usually 2, exceptionally 3, ovate in shape, measuring in inches, 1.05 to 

 1.30 by 078 to 0.95 (in millimeters, 26.6 to 33.0 by 19.8 to 24.1), and averaging 

 in two" large series, 1.14 by 0.88 (28.9 by 22.4) and 1.17 by 0.88 (29.6 by 22.4) 

 respfietively ; the color ranges from white to cream (iDavie, 1889, pp. 158-159), 

 and the surface lacks the pearly luster seen in eggs of the Mourning Dove (Gil- 

 man, 19-11, p. 54). • 



General distkibdtion — Lower California, extreme southeastern California, 

 southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, southern Texas, and south through 

 Mexico to Costa Rica; casual in Colorado and recorded once from Washington 

 (modified from A. O. XI. Committee, 1912, p. 380). 



Distribution in CALiroRNiA — ^Summer visitant in moderate numbers along 

 the Colorado River from The Needles south to . the .M,exiean. boundary ; recorded 

 once as a straggler in western San Diego County. Arrives in late April. 



The White-winged Dove, with a, wide range in the southern portion 

 of our continent, barely reaches the extreme, southeastern portion of 

 California, in the valley of the Colorado Eiver^ Here it is a summer 

 visitant in moderate numbers, arriving in the latter part of April 

 (the 29th in 1910), and inhabiting ■ almost exclusively the willow 

 thickets along the river (Grinnell, 19l4&, p. 123), from the Mexican 

 boundary north at least to The Needles, San Bernardino County 

 (Stephens, 1903, p. 77). A single individual taken ten miles west of 

 Bscondido, San Diego County, about September 25, 1911 (Dixon, 1912, 

 p; 196) was doubtless a vagrant, and constitutes the only record for 

 California outside the limited region above specified. It has been 

 reported from Twenty-nine Palms, on the Mohave Desert east of 

 Morongo Pass (Heller, 1901, p. 100), but not upon the best of evidence. 

 Cooper (1877, p. 95) saw birds of this species in the markets of San 

 Francisco ; but, as suggested by him, there is a chance that they were 

 brought in caged from Mexico. 



From other members of the pigeon family occurring in California 

 the White-winged Dove may be distinguished chiefly by the large 

 white patch on the wing. In addition it may be told from the Band- 

 tailed Pigeon by its smaller size and white-tipped tail, from the 

 Mourning Dove by its slightly larger size and squarish instead of 

 pointed tail, and from the Mexican Ground Dove by its decidedly 

 larger size, as well as by the presence of much bluish gray in its colora- 

 tion, a,nd white tip on its tail. 



Gilman, who has improved his excellent opportunities for observ- 

 ing this species near Sacaton, Pinal County, Arizona, has written a 

 very full account of it (1911, pp. 52-54), from which we extract the 

 following portions : 



The White-winged Dove or Sonora Pigeon ... is migratory, arriving here 

 about the 20th of April. Their coming is coincident with the ripening of the 

 berries of the wild jujube . . upon which they feed greedily ^s long &S the 

 fruit lasts, consuming both ripe and green. . . . The white color pattern shown 



