The Western Mourning Dove 



crotch or upon the horizontal limb of a tree or bush. Fence-corners, the 

 tops of stumps, brush-piles, and overgrown stone-heaps are favorite 

 places, and occasionally eggs are laid upon the ground with little pretense 

 of a nest, or none. This is necessarily the case in sections 

 given over to grain-growing; and in such regions, also, 

 the danger from ground-haunting, predatory 

 animals is greatly reduced. Sometimes the dove 

 builds in bush-clumps entirely surrounded by 

 water, the purpose being, manifestly, to escape 

 prowlers. In the deserts the dove has recourse 

 to the cholla cactus, although, truth to tell, she 

 is not an adept at this sort of thing, and 

 chooses for her site the lower, weathered 

 portions of the plant, rather than the "stick- 

 ery" top. Again, old Thrashers' nests or 

 those of Brewer Blackbirds, Magpies, and 

 Jays afford acceptable foundations. When 

 one of these is used, the tenant merely adds 

 a few clean straws or twigs by way 

 of lining. Now and then, however, 

 a quite substantial nest is construct- 

 ed, and one which reflects credit upon 

 the gentle builder. The student of 

 caliology, indeed, finds more to won- 

 der at in the varying artistry of 

 doves' nests than in the case of any 

 other group of birds. 



Mourning Doves, like the do- 

 mesticated varieties of species dis- 

 tantly related, are very prolific. 

 Eggs may be looked for at any time 

 from March to September. Indeed, 

 a competent observer, Dr. Howard 

 Jones, living as far north as south-central Ohio, declares that he has seen 

 Doves sitting on fresh eggs every month of the year except December 

 and January. According to the same writer, the female dove sometimes 

 lays again before the young have flown; in which case the latter must 

 assist, perforce, in the duties of incubation. 



An instance came to notice here near Santa Barbara which would go 

 to show that oviposition, in case of the Mourning Dove, may be, for the 

 annual period of activity, a regularly recurring monthly function inde- 

 pendent of special stimulus. A nest found on the 31st day of July (1915) 



1162 



Taken in Washington 

 Photo by F. S. Merrill 



NEST AND EGGS OF WESTERN MOURNING DOVE 



