144 THE CONDOR Vol. XXII 
The morning flight from the colonies near the Gila River began an hour 
after sunrise and continued until nearly noon. During the middle of the day 
the birds were quiet, but they began again to pass out to feed in the late after- 
noon, continuing until sunset. While in the mesquite montes I saw little of these 
daily flights, save when birds chanced to pass overhead, as the cover was too 
dense, but from the open country surrounding the groves the interesting move- 
ment of the birds was easily observed. The White-wings left the colonies singly 
or in little flocks of five or six. As they travelled, these smaller bands frequently 
joined until often fifteen or twenty birds were flying in one group. A purple 
drupe, one-fourth of an inch in diameter, borne by a spiny shrub (Condala 
spathulata) was a favorite food at this season and the birds also ate the fruits of 
the giant cactus as rapidly as they ripened. Various seeds were taken also. 
Harvesting of grain began in this valley about the first of June and continued 
until the end of the month. Fields of wheat or barley that had been cut recently 
were attractive to the White-wings as here they found an abundant source of 
food. The wheat grown in this region shattered (or shelled out) badly during 
the process of cutting, binding, and shocking, so that kernels of grain were scat- 
tered thickly over the fields. Further, there was much additional waste grain 
from heads matured or stalks too short to be bound that fell to the ground when 
cut. As may be imagined the White-wings sought this food supply eagerly. 
They were gregarious in feeding as in nesting so that newcomers passing over 
the grain fields usually decoyed to those already on the ground until many had 
gathered in one spot. The grain stubble was cut high and afforded the feeding 
bands shelter, as the doves were short in leg and walked about with the body 
bent forward. It was often the case that not a bird was seen in looking across 
a field of wheat stubble, though several hundred might be feeding there under 
shelter of the wheat stalks and the low levees thrown up to direct the flow of 
the water used in irrigation while the crop was being grown. White-wings were 
wary and easily alarmed while feeding. At times I crawled up under shelter of 
weeds to watch them at close range. If one of the feeding birds happened to 
observe some slight motion, the heads of all were up in an instant and all re- 
mained motionless, while in a minute or so they usually flew hastily in sudden 
alarm. Where they were shot at they became even more wary. After feeding, 
httle groups of White-wings often flew up to rest for a time in the shelter of 
cottonwoods or mesquites. 
Occasionally, when feeding in fields where wheat had not been shocked a 
dove hopped up on one of the bundles of bound grain and pecked at the heads 
of wheat, choosing, preferably, those that were short so that they were held firm- 
ly by the twine. Or a flock of half a dozen dropped down on a shock of wheat 
and fed on the cap sheaves for a few minutes. Usually, however, the birds pre- 
ferred to feed in the more secure cover of the stubble and confined their atten- 
tion to the abundant waste grain as long as this was available. When wheat 
was not threshed within a short time after it was cut these doves were said to 
cause serious damage to the grain in the shock. This was particularly true in 
the case of isolated fields that remained after the surrounding crops had been 
removed. For this reason the White-winged Doves were in bad repute among 
many of the ranchers. 
It has been common practice for many years for sportsmen to hunt White- - 
winged Doves during the months of June and July when the birds were ranging 
over the cultivated fields. Though this has been done under the guise of pro- 
