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NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



Zenaidura macroura (Linn). Mourning Dove. 



A single mourning dove was taken on May 5, on Maria Madre, and a 

 few others were seen on the island during the first half of the month. 

 They were found for a short time about an old field near the shore, and, 

 like several other species, were i)robably stray migrants. 



Leptotila fulviventris brachyptera (Salvadori). AVhite-fronted Dove. 



There is a typical specimen of this bird in the ^^ational Museum col- 

 lection, which was taken on the Tres Marias by Colonel Grayson. It 

 was undoubtedly a straggler from the mainland, as it shows no approach 

 toward the characters distinguishing the resident insular species. 



Leptotila capitalis Nelson. Tres Marias Dove. 



Leptoi^tUa amfrons Grayson, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., XIY, p. 274, 1871 (part) ; 



Lawr., Mem. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., II, p. 305, 1874 (part). 

 Leptotila capiiaJis Nelson, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, XII, p. 6, 1898. 



Very common on Maria Madre and Maria Magdalena, and prob- 

 ably occurs also on Maria Cleofa. They run about on the ground 

 under the shade of the forest with motions like those of a quail. Dur- 

 ing the morning and evening hours quiet trails leading through the 

 forest are their favorite resorts. When walking along these trails one 

 sees them for a moment, sometimes running and sometimes on the wing- 

 close to the ground, as they disappear around the next bend. If one 

 is walking slowl}^ the birds will frequently keep ahead for some distance, 

 but if pressed they either run or fly to one side into the sheltering 

 woods. They have a loud cooing note, which is heard at short intervals 

 wherever the birds are common. During the hot hours of the day they 

 retire to the shadiest recesses of the forest and usually perch in some 

 thick- topped tree. While resting in these retreats they have the pretty 

 custom of uttering mellow call notes, as if in response to one another. 

 During the breeding season they are seen in pairs, keeping close together, 

 but at other times are solitary. When forced to take wing, they do so 

 with a loud whirring sound and dart away through the intricate mazes 

 of the dense forest with wonderful quickness. Their agility in flying 

 at full speed among the net work of trunks and branches is extraordinary 

 and equalled by few birds. If they take wing without being alarmed, 

 their flight is almost noiseless. 



Melopelia leucoptera (Linn). White-winged Dove. 



White-winged doves were rather common residents on both Maria^ 

 Madre and Maria Magdalena, and a few were seen on Maria Cieofa. ' 



Colonel Grayson does not mention having seen this bird during any 

 of his visits to the islands. It seems quite improbable that so con- 

 spicuous a species should have been present and overlooked, and I 

 am inclined to believe that it has become a resident of the islands since 

 his visits. It is now a conspicuous and widely spread species and one 

 of the two resident land birds found by us that are not in Grayson's 

 list. In habits and appearance the white-winged doves of the islands 

 are identical with those on the mainland, where the species is very 



