184 NESTS AND EGOS OF 



of four eggs, and reports that Mr. Thos. H. Jackson has received several sets of the 

 same number from southern Texas. Mr. Sennett obtained fresh eggs on the Rio 

 Orande, April 10th, and on the 20th sets were generally full and fresh, after which 

 time they contained embryos. The nests are shallow structures, often made entirely 

 of Spanish moss, and are placed on horizontal limbs, a few feet from the ground. 

 The eggs are of a buffy- white, thlck-shelled and roughly granulated; they are large 

 for the bird; sizes range from 2.18 to 2.35 long by 1.55 to 1.60 broad. 



312. BAND-TAILED PIGEON. Colnmba fasciata Say. Geog. Dist. — West- 

 ern United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast, from Washington 

 Territory and New Mexico south, through Mexico to the highlands of Guatemala. 



The Band-tailed, or White-collared Pigeon, is found from the Rocky Mountains 

 westward to the Pacific. It is common, but irregular in distribution. In Wash- 

 ington county, Oregon, Mr. Anthony records this Pigeon as a common summer resi- 

 dent, and that south of Beaverton is a large spring, whose waters contain some 

 mineral which has a great attraction for these birds, and here they are always to be 

 found in large numbers. Mr. Scott states that this species is common in the Santa 

 Catalina mountains in Arizona, breeding in July. He met with it commonly in May 

 and June, as low down as 3,500 feet, feeding on wild mulberries. It was not un- 

 common in the pine region about the middle of April.* This is an attractive bird, 

 about the size and possessing many habits of the domestic pigeon. It sometimes 

 congregates together in flocks, even while breeding, and nests in trees and bushes 

 along the banks of streams, or in the thick forests near wat-er. The nest is a 

 mere platform of sticks, and the eggs are also placed on the ground without any 

 nest, which is sometimes the case with the Mourning Dove (Z. macronra). The eggs 

 are one or two in number, equal-ended, glistening-white, with an average size of 

 1.50x1.20. The average size of thirteen eggs in the U. S. National Museum, as given 

 by the late Major Bendire, is 1.57x1.10; the largest of these being 1.70x1.18; the 

 smallest 1.50x1.06 inches. 



312a. VIOSCA'S PIGEON. Columba fasciata vioscw Brewst. Geog. Dist. — 

 Lower California. 



Mr. William Brewster first described this new subspecies from a large series of 

 specimens taken by Mr. Frazar at La Laguna, Lower California. The Dird as de- 

 scribed differs from the Band-tailed Pigeon in being a trifle smaller; the tail band 

 is wanting, or only faintly indicated; the ground color lighter and more uniform, 

 etc.t Mr. Frazar, while collecting near Pearco's Ranch in Lower California, se- 

 cured two nests, each containing a single egg. One egg which the late Maj. Bendire 

 describes was found in a nest composed of a few sticks, placed on 

 a broken upright branch in the center of a giant cactus, about 18 feet from the 

 ground. It is pure white, slightly glossy, elliptical ovate in shape, and not quite as 

 notably pointed at the small end as the eggs of Columha fasciata. It measures 1.50x 

 1.04 inches. 



313. BED-BILLED PIGEON. Columba flavirostris Wagl. Geog. IMst.— South- 

 ern border of the United States from the Rio Grande Valley, Arizona, Mexico and 

 Lower California south to Costa Rica. 



This large and handsome Pigeon is common In the valley of the Rio Grande 

 and southward. In some localities on the Rio Grande in Texas It is abundant during 



• Auk, Vol. TIT, p. 421. 

 t Cy. Brewster, Auk, V, 



