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BIRD NOTES: 
THE 
JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB 
The Mourning Dove (Zenaidura macroura). 
By VVeslkv T. Pack. F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 
As the notes, mainly a compilation, are written to go with 
the photo-reproductions opposite, I am reprinting almost in 
cxtenso from The Condor (Sept. -Oct. 1921 ) an interesting article 
by Margaret Morse Nice, which describes their nidification 
habits in a state of nature, and our illustrations also figure the 
eggs and young in their native wilds. 
" This spring wt- have had the rare exi)erience of followingf the 
course of two Mourning Doves' nests, each of which contained three 
" eggs, and all the eggs hatching. Although we have examined nearly 
" 150 nests of the Western Mourning Dove {Zenaidura macroura margiii- 
" eUa) here in central Oklahoma, in only one instance have we found more 
" than two eggs or young. This was a nest containing two small doves 
" and one egg, discovered by my daughter Constance, May 25, 1917. 
" L^nfortunately we did not revisit this nest." 
" The first of the three-egg sets found in 1921 was located in a new 
" Robin's nest that had been built in a box elder fifteen feet from the 
" ground. It was found April 15 with three Robin's eggs in it, but on 
" April 20 it was empty and deserted. On April 30 we saw a Dove 
" placidl}' in possession, and on Constance climl)ing the tree she made the 
exciting discovery that the nest contained three Dove's eggs, one of 
" which looked slightly smaller than the others. On May 12 there were 
still three eggs; but on May 14 there was one egg and two young, one a 
" day old and the other a few hours old; this last was under the egg. On 
" May 18 there were three little birds in the nest : the smallest, from its 
" degree of development, must have been one dnv younger than the middle 
" bird. 
" On May 19 the six-day-old dove weighed 41 grams, the five-day-old 
" 21.8 grams, and the four-daj'-old 17 grams. The weights of the two 
" young birds are lower than others of the same age, the average of two 
" other five-day-old squabs being 36 grams, and of two four-day-olds 30. c 
" grams. Apparently the three were not getting quite enough food. All 
" however were well advanced as to feather development. On May 21 
" Dr. J. M. Thuringer ascended the tree and photographed the birds in 
" their nest. After this we did not disturb them for fear of frightening 
