July, 1920 HABITS OF THE WHITE-WINGED DOVE 145 
tecting crops it has been carried on in the main simply for sport, as the majority 
of the doves killed are shot in stubble fields from which the grain has been re- 
moved, or when in flight to or from the colonies in localities where they may be 
doing no damage. Occasionally men and boys even invaded the nesting colonies 
and slipped about among the low mesquite potting the male birds or shooting 
the females as they sat on their nests containing eggs and young. Others, wait- 
ing until the squabs were nearly grown, knocked the young doves from their 
nests with poles and gathered them in sacks for table use. Such harrying dur- 
ing the season when the birds are breeding can not be considered legitimate 
and can lead only to the decimation of the species. The mortality among young 
from the killing of their parents is tremendous. 
Hunters have given the matter of damage by White-wingead Doves much 
publicity in the local press in order to insure that they may be allowed to kill 
the doves with impunity. Most of the claims made concerning damage by these 
birds are based upon the finding of quantities of wheat in the crops of the birds 
that are killed. Personally I shot a considerable number of doves for examina- 
tion and in most instances found wheat in their crops. Observation of the feed- 
- ing birds, however, soon showed that all save a very small part of this grain was 
waste gleaned from the stubble. For example, White-winged Doves were feeding 
in droves in fields near Palo Verde where wheat was in the shock, yet on careful 
examination of 140 acres distributed in 8 fields I was able to find only nominal 
damage in three fields covering 60 acres. Where nominal damage was indicated 
I found from 10 to 30 heads of wheat on scattered bundles that had a part of 
the kernels missing. This injury was so slight that it amounted to nothing. Thir- 
ty-five acres of this grain belonging to William Walton of Palo Verde when 
threshed yielded 435 sacks of wheat, a sufficient commentary on the absence of 
damage. Claim was made that the White-wings occasionally attacked wheat or 
barley before it was cut. Where the grain had lodged or fallen badly this was 
true, in some eases at least, but it did not seem probable that the doves would 
injure standing grain unless in occasional fields where the stalks were very 
short through alkali in the soil, lack of water or other reasons. 
Where the doves are doing actual damage they should be driven out, but 
this matter should be left entirely to the ranchers and should not be made an 
excuse for general hunting. The birds are easily frightened and ean be driven 
from fields by a comparatively small amount of shooting. Damage was without 
question more serious during the first settlement of this portion of the Gila Val- 
ley, as ranches then were widely scattered and threshing outfits few, so that it 
was necessary often for wheat to be exposed for a long time in the shock before 
it was removed from the fields. At present, however, many of the ranchers are 
using small combination harvesters that cut the grain and thresh it at one opera- 
tion, and the entire crop is handled so rapidly even when dependence is placed 
upon binding and threshing that opportunity for damage is slight. Where, for 
any reason it is necessary to leave wheat in the field it may be stacked and the 
top of the stack capped with tarpaulins when it will be safe from all depredation. 
In 1919, according to my observation, the damage from White-winged Doves 
was wholly negligible. | 
Many hunters claimed that if they were not permitted to kill White-wings 
during the breeding season they would get no shooting at all, as the birds leave 
the region immediately after rearing their young, an excuse that is poor at best, 
but that may be considered for the moment. From information available it seems 
