f^ahits of the White-winged Do'v^. 
teales. No females were observed in the act of cooing and I 
was unable to ascertain their notes. Although males did not 
coo in unison the effect produced by hundreds of them calling 
at the same time was remarkable. Save for one or two birds 
that might chance to be near at hand, their notes seemed to come 
from a distance, and were so blended that it was difficult to pick 
out individual songs. In a large colony the volume of sound 
produced was so great that it carried readily for a distance of a 
mile and yet the tone produced was so soft that it was not deafen- 
ing when near at hand. On the contrary the whole formed an 
undertone, continuous, and to my ear not unpleasing, that did 
not intrude sharply on the senses, of so vague a nature that 
faculties perceptive to sound soon became accustomed to it, so 
that through constant repetition it might pass unnoted. Although 
it filled the air with the same effect as that produced by the 
rushing of water, other sounds, the song of a Redwing or a 
Lucy's Warbler, the cooing of a Mourning Dove or the stamping 
of a horse, were heard through it clearly even when such noises 
originated at some distance. The effect as a whole was most 
remarkable and once experienced lingers long in memory. 
Combats among males are frequent, but these were blood- 
less battles, as the birds merely flapped at one another uttering 
guttural notes, or when near at hand struck quickly with one 
wing. Often one male was at much trouble to drive all others 
from some trees, and once I observed one hustle away a pair of 
Mourning Doves that chanced to intrude upon his domain. 
When females were flushed from nests containing fresh 
eggs usually they flew directly away with a loud clap, clap of 
their wings. When incubating or brooding young the proce- 
dure was often different. Then they dropped to the ground and 
fluttered rapidly away, continually falling forward as though 
injured, while moving the partly spread wings tremulously. 
Their course on such occasions was behind low hanging limbs 
or fallen branches where it was difficult to secure a clear view, 
a circumstance that should aid in attracting attention from any 
enemy. In case the male was near and had not recognised me 
he often dropped down to the ground and stalked about trucu- 
lently, with the feathers on his back elevated and those on his 
