CAROLINA PIGEON. 



18/ 



CAROLINA PIGEON OR TURTLE DOVE. (Columba 

 Carolinensis.) 



PLATE XLIII.— Fig. 1. 



Linn. Syst. 286.— Catesb. Car. i. 24.— Buff. ii. 557, PL enl. 175.— La Tourterelle 

 de la Caroline, Brisson, i. 110.— Peak's Museum, No. 5088. — Turton, 479. — 

 Arct. Zool. ii. No. 188. 



ECTOPISTES CAROLIJSrPNSIS.—SwAixsox. 



Genus Ectopistes, Swain. iV. Groups. Zool. Journ. No. xi. p. 362. — Columba 

 Carolinensis, Bonap. Synop. p. 119. — The Carolina Turtle Dove, Aud. Orn. 

 Biog. L 91, pi. 17, male and female. 



This is a favourite bird with all those who love to wander 

 among our woods in spring, and listen to their varied harmony. 

 They will there hear many a singular and sprightly performer, 

 but none so mournful as this. The hopeless woe of settled 

 sorrow, swelling the heart of female innocence itself, could not 

 assume tones more sad, more tender and affecting. Its notes 

 are four ; the first is somewhat the highest, and preparatory, 

 seeming to be uttered with an inspiration of the breath, as if 

 the afflicted creature were just recovering its voice from the 

 last convulsive sobs of distress ; this is followed by three long, 

 deep, and mournful moanings, that no person of sensibility 

 can listen to without sympathy. A pause of a few minutes 

 ensues, and again the solemn voice of sorrow is renewed 

 as before. This is generally heard in the deepest shaded 

 parts of the woods, frequently about noon and towards the 

 evening. 



There is, however, nothing of real distress in all this ; quite 

 the reverse. The bird who utters it wantons by the side of his 

 beloved partner, or invites her by his call to some favourite 

 retired and shady retreat. It is the voice of love, of faithful 

 connubial affection, for which the whole family of doves are 

 so celebrated ; and, among them all, none more deservingly so 

 than the species now before us. 



