- 7 - 
oooationally In small openings In the woods hut It was a rare thing to 
see them crossing the open country at this time, ’fhe birds oame in to 
feed sin|^« or in pairs* or threes* Once si* were seen together* 
Apparently, these birds were all males* On two oooasions as a pair of 
dOTSs passed ms I killed both and In each case both birds were males* 
g j « mourning doves wore oolleoted in the time that 1 was at Aroola and 
all proved to bo males* No nosts of the mourning dove were found 
though oonsiderable areas of woodland were traversed and I sow no birds 
that 1 was certain wore feosales, although these doves were breeding here 
without question* In all of the birds examined, the testes were as large 
ju ^^Bioeter as a lead pencil* In only one individual was the lower 
walls of tho crops tMolcened as they are in 1)11118 that arc feeding young# 
»■ 
As this thiokening did not occur in the others, and as tho males were fo^d 
ranging together. It might be supposed that sane or all of these birds 
were bachelors that were not mated* Further observations over a more 
extendod period are needed to establish this however* 
The morning of June 8 was wet and foggy and only one dove appeared 
in the fields. It rained heavily in the late afternoon of that day and 
in the evening only n few birds were noted* Apparently at this seasnn 
mourning doves are more or less inactive in wet weather and eeoure their 
food about suitable plaoee In the wooded country* On days in which tho 
birds were wodciug they oemo in to Bunter*o fara from the acst and 
> 
f/ 
'A' ■ 
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ID*,. 
