i86 
Habits of the White-winged Dove. 
throat and upper breast raised until each one stood out separate 
from the others, so that as he walked along he appeared twice 
his normal size. Occasionally other males from trees near-by 
flew down precipitately toward the female as though to 
determine what was wrong with her. 
In displaying before females males had a curious habit or 
pose in which they raised the tail high and tilted the body 
forward. At the same time the tail was spread widely and then 
closed with a quick flash of the prominent black and white 
markings. In the breeding colonies males at intervals flew out 
with quick, full strokes of the spread wings, rising until they 
were thirty or forty feet in the air. The wings were then set 
stiffly with the tips decurved, while the birds scaled around above 
the mesquites in a great circle that often brought them to their 
original perches. The contrasted markings of the wings showed 
brilliantly during this flight and the whole was most striking 
and attractive. In the cooler part of the morning males per- 
formed constantly in this manner over the rookery. 
When I sat down near nests the owners often perched 
near by, turning their heads curiously and watching me closely 
for many minutes. At the same time they twitched the tail 
nervously, spreading it as described above. This action was 
shown by wing-tipped birds also, so that it is apparently used 
when the birds are nervous, excited, or curious, as well as in 
display. 
White-winged Doves start in flight with a loud clapping 
of wings that is accompanied by a whistling noise. When the 
birds are well under way their passage, while swift and direct, 
is noiseless. The sound at the start resembles that made by 
domestic pigeons. The White-wing, like certain tropical doves 
(for example the White-headed and Scaled pigeons) in perching 
in cottonwoods or other trees with dense foliage, usually alights 
among clumps of leaves on the higher outer branches rather 
than on dead limbs or in open situations such as those chosen 
by Mourning Doves. So well did the birds conceal themselves 
that after I had seen half a dozen fly into such a tree, it was not 
unusual to be unable to pick out a single dove in spite of their 
large size. In the mesquite they followed the same practice 
