MEXICAN GSOUND DOVE 607 



and spots of deep brown with blue and purple iridescence; whole under surface 

 of mng aad axillars, rich rusty brown ; throat and forepart of breast, pale pinkish 

 brown, with half -concealed dusky feather centers and faintly darker feather tip- 

 pings giving a scaled effect ; rest of breast and forepart of belly plain pale pinkish 

 broAvn, becoming nearly white on lower belly, and grading to gi-ay on flanks and 

 lower tail coverts; lower tail coverts tipped with dull white; legs and feet 

 "yellow" (Baird, Brewer and Eidgway, loc. cit.). Admit female: Similar to 

 adult male but paler, lacking bluish slate on top and back of head and neck (this 

 being replaced by brown like back), breast pale drab rather than pinkish, and 

 dark spots on outer surface of wing more brownish, and but slightly iridescent. 

 Males: Total length 6.62-6.87 inches (168-174.5 mm.) (nine specimens from Ari- 

 zona); folded wing 3.25-3.56 (82.5-90.4); bill along culmen 0.43-0.46 (11.0- 

 11.7) ; tarsus 0.59-0.64 (15.0-16.2) (ten specimens from Arizona and California). 

 Females: Total length 6.56-6.87 (166.5-174.5) (three specimens from Arizona); 

 folded wing 3.24-3.42 (82.2-86.7) ; bill along culmen 0.43-0.47 (11.0-12.0) ; 

 tarsus 0.61-0.66 (15.6-16.8) (eight specimens from Arizona and California). 

 Juvenile plumage: Similar to adult female but duller, the feathers of upper sur- 

 face narrowly tipped with white or rusty, and feathers of breast with much 

 paler centers. 



Marks foe field idejjtification — Smallest of the pigeon tribe occurring in 

 California; only about one-quarter the size of the Mourning Dove and but a 

 trifle larger than an English Sparrow; general coloration , giving an efl'ect of 

 brownuess, without any contrasting white areas ; vivid rusty brown showing on 

 wings in flight. 



Voice — A single long-drawn-out woo, uttered at short intervals (Gilman, 1911, 

 p. 54). 



Nest — In bushes or trees, at heights from two and one-half to twenty-five feet 

 (0.76 to 7.6 meters) above gi-ound; for a dove, fairly well constructed; of rootlets 

 and small twigs, sometimes with a decided depression in the center (Gilman, 

 1911, p. 55, writing from Arizona). 



Eggs — 2, elliptical oval, measuring in inches, 0.79 to 0.91 by 0.63 to 0.69 (in 

 millimeters, 20.0 to 23.0 by 16.0 to 17.5), and averaging 0.85 by 0.65 (21.5 by 

 16.5) (fifty-four eggs in. the United States National Museum) ; in color pure 

 white (Davie, 1900, p. 190). 



General distribution — From Costa Eica north to middle southern Texas, 

 southern Arizona, Lower California and extreme southeastern California; occa- 

 sional in western California north to San Francisco (modified from A. O. U. 

 Check-list, 1910, p. 150). 



Distribution in California — Eesident locally in small numbers in the extreme 

 southeastern corner of the state in the valley of the lower Colorado Eiver; has 

 occurred casually in the western part of the state at the following places: San 

 Diego, Escondido and San Pasqual, San Diego County; Banning, Eiverside 

 County; San Gabriel, Los Angeles County; Monterey and Castroville, Monterey 

 County; Pescadero, San Mateo County; and San Francisco. 



The Mexican Ground Dove is the smallest member of the pigeon 

 family known to occur in California and, in fact, is among the smallest 

 of its kind anywhere in the world. Its diminutive size would scarcely 

 lead one to place it among the pigeons and doves, but its voice, habits 

 and nesting, as well as its structure, all show it to be a member of 

 that large and widely distributed family. 



