Habiis of the White -winged Doi)e. 
183 
\Vere visible through the loosely interlaced twigs at the sides. 
Two eggs formed a complete set. They were distinctly buffy 
in colour when fresh but varied in depth of shade so that 
occasional sets were nearly white. When blown these eggs 
frequently fade out even when not exposed to light so that they 
appear dull white with hardly a suggestion of buff, a circum- 
stance that caused unpleasant surprise when, a few days after 
they had been blown, I came to examine sets that I had chosen 
originally for their rich colour. The eggs of the White-wing 
appeared to have a duller surface than the eggs of the Mourning 
Dove. Although two eggs formed a complete set it was not 
unusual to find that one was infertile ; in addition there may have 
been mortality for some reason after eggs had hatched, as many 
nests were noted that contained only one young bird. Young 
White-winged Doves when first hatched were well covered with 
long, straggling down that in colour was dull white slightly 
tinged with buff. This natal down was replaced by secondary 
feather growth so rapidly that it had disappeared for the great 
part at the end of the first week. The feather quills that 
followed the down did not burst until they were quite long so 
that for a time the young were as grotesque as young cuckoos. 
The young birds were fed by regurgitation and at the age of 
four days received solid food in the form of undigested seeds, 
in addition to the usual diet of " pigeon's milk." Fledglings 
left the nest when between three and four weeks old, as nearly 
as I could ascertain. The first young bird able to fly w^as noted 
on June 12th, and by June T5th birds of this age were fairly 
common. These young were still dependent upon their parents 
for food, and though able to fly well were undeveloped and 
small. On first leaving the nest they perched about in the 
mesquites, always seeking shade, but in a few days were often 
found on the ground, preferably where the soil was sandy. 
There they walked about in the thin shade of the mesquites, 
examining bits of sticks and other refuse curiously, often testing 
such fragments with their bills, or rested quietly, squatting on 
the earth. In many instances it was found that they were 
heavily infested with small ftticks against whose attacks they 
seemed inexperienced. No ill results from the presence of 
these parasites were noted, and older birds were free from them. 
