BAND-TAILED DOVE. 313 



are represented two adult birds, placed on the branch of a superb species of 

 dogwood, discovered by my learned friend Thomas Nuttall, Esq., when 

 on his march toward the shores of the Pacific Ocean, and which I have 

 graced with his name! The beautiful drawing of this branch was executed 

 by Miss Martin, the amiable and accomplished sister of my friend Dr. 

 Bachman. Seeds of this new species of Cornus were sent by me to Lord 

 Bavensworth, and have germinated, so that this beautiful production of the 

 rich valley of the Columbia river may now be seen in the vicinity of London, 

 and in the grounds of the nobleman just mentioned, near Newcastle-upon- 

 Tyne. Mr. Townsend's notice respecting the bird here spoken of is as 

 follows: — 



"The Band-tailed Pigeon is called by the Chinook Indians 'akoigh homing 

 It ranges from the eastern spurs of the Rocky Mountains across to the 

 Columbia river, where it is abundant. It arrived in 1836 in very great 

 numbers, on the 17th of April, and continued in large flocks while breeding. 

 Their breeding places are on the banks of the river. The eggs are placed 

 on the ground, under small bushes, without a nest, where numbers congre- 

 gate together. The eggs are two, of a yellowish-white colour, inclining to 

 bluish-white, with minute white spots at the great end. These Pigeons feed 

 upon the berries of the black elder and the buds of the balsam poplar. When 

 sitting in the trees, they huddle very close together in the manner of the 

 Carolina Parrot, and many may be killed at a single discharge of the fowling- 

 piece. The flesh is tender and juicy, and therefore fine eating." 



Mr. Nuttall has favoured me with an equally interesting notice. "This 

 large and fine Pigeon, always moving about in flocks, keeps in Oregon only 

 in the thick forests of the Columbia and the Wahlamet, and during the 

 summer is more particularly abundant in the alluvial groves of the latter 

 river, where throughout that season we constantly heard their cooing, or 

 witnessed the swarming flocks feeding on the berries of the elder tree, those 

 of the Great Cornel [Cornus Nuttalli), or, before the ripening of berries, 

 on the seed-germs or the young pods of the balsam poplar. The call of this 

 species is somewhat similar to that of the Carolina Dove, but is readily dis- 

 tinguishable, sounding like a double suppressed syllable, as h 'koo, h '/coo, 

 h 'koo, h 'koo, uttered at the usual intervals, and repeated an hour or two at 

 a time, chiefly in the morning and evening. They are said to breed on the 

 ground, or in the low bushes, but I did not find the nest, although I saw the 

 birds feeding around every day near Watpatoo Island. During the whole 

 of this time they keep in flocks, either in the poplars or elder bushes, and 

 on being started, sweep about like flocks of domestic pigeons, soon returning 

 to their fare, when they feed in silence, keeping a strict watch for intruders. 

 They remain on the lower part of the Columbia nearly the whole year, late 



Vol. IV. 43 



