THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 195 
MOURNING DOVE 
Zenaidura macroura (Linn). 
By R. BRUCE HORSFALL. 
The soft call of the male has given this bird its common name. 
Uttered slowly and hollowly: 
oo 
“Whwoo 00, Whoo whoo 
Oo, oOo 
It gives to one of a depressed nature, a feeling of lonesomeness 
akin to fear, the personification of the gentlest, tenderest love, a love 
so deep that it borders on sorrow. 
And such is the nature of the “turtle-dove.’’* 
No creature could be more lovable, tender, sweet and true. They 
mate for life, and when all goes well, live over 20 years. 
Their color is in keeping with their character, a soft dove brown, 
the male having a slight iridescence about the neck. The tail is long 
and pointed. There is a black spot under the ear and a few black spots 
upon the wing coverts. Their total length is about 12 inches. They 
are skillful and swift in flight, going 30 miles an hour with ease. 
99 

*The name borrowed from an allied species of Hurope. 
While drinking, they keep the bill immersed almost to the eyes 
until the draught is finished—and do not raise the head, as most 
birds do, to swallow. 
Two creamy white eggs are laid on a very frail platform of sticks 
through which they can be seen. This nest is placed anywhere from 
on the ground to fifty feet up in the tree.tops. They raise two and 
sometimes three broods a season. 
Mourning doves are at home over the whole of the United States. 
Though quite abundant all over the Middle West and East of the 
Cascades in Oregon, only stragglers inhabit the Willamette and kindred 
valleys. 
As weed eradicators they have no equals, with the possible ex- 
ception of Bob-white. 
“It was only a seed that fell, 
A downy and tiny seed; 
And few that saw it could tell 
What an evil and pestilent weed 
Would spring from that little sphere, 
With power to spread at the root 
Till it choked out all blossoms of cheer, 
And cut off all promise of fruit.’’ 
All over this broad land of ours are thousands of farmers and 
tillers of small acreage who, after many hard, back-breaking days 
with the hoe, have wished that there was some way to prevent the 
rapid growth of weeds, and save them from the sweating brow and 
blistered hands and feet. 
Of preeminent value for this purpose are the doves. 
Investigations made by the Biological Survey, U. S. Department 
of Agriculture, of the food of doves proves their great worth. The 
