Jan., 1913 OUTLOOK FOR CONSERVING THE BAND-TAILED PIGEON 
29 
whole such relatively huge objects as the acorns of the golden oak, in particular. 
In the coast region of central California the berries of the madrone (Arbutus 
mcnciesi) form an attractive food source in the fall of the year. In certain in- 
stances bands of jngeons have been known to stay around tracts of madrones un- 
til practically every berry had been taken. Sometimes the birds feed so largely 
on these berries that the flesh becomes discolored thereby ( Jenkins, 1906, p. 126). 
The berries of certain species of manzanita (Arctostaphylos) are re.sorted to 
when acorns fail. The little apple-like fruits are eaten both green and ripe, be- 
coming available in July as about the earliest crop. At times in midwinter, Oc- 
tober to February, the pigeons fall back on the abundant fruit of the Christmas- 
berry or California holly ( Hcteromclcs arhntifolia) , and more rarely upon the 
fruit of the coffee berry {Rhamnus calif ornicus) . The latter bears almost peren- 
nially. 
There is a period of the year when fruit and nut crops have almost vanished. 
The flower and leaf buds of certain plants are then eaten in quantity. In February 
manzanita buds have been appropriated by the pigeons in the Sierran foothills 
(Dean, 1904, p. iii). In March and April the pigeons have been repeatedly ob- 
served to feed upon oak buds in the interior valleys of both west-central and 
southern California. One observer describes a bitter taste noticeable in the flesh 
of pigeons, thought to have been due to this diet of oak buds (Bendire, 1892, j). 
T23). 
In southern California the sycamore balls are frequently eaten in early 
spring. No less than thirty-five of these ball-like flower clusters have been 
counted in the crop of a single pigeon (Evermann, 1886, p. 93). Various small 
plant seeds have also been reported as found in crops of pigeons. 
Finally, in two instances, pine seeds have been found in the birds’ crops ; in 
Calaveras County in July (Belding, 1890, p. 21) ; and on Mount Pinos, Ventura 
County, June 29 (Grinnell, 1905, p. 382). It is, of course, probable in these cases 
that either the cones were fully ripe and the scales spread so that the seeds could 
be readily extracted, or that the seeds were picked up from the ground beneath 
the trees where they had fallen. 
All of the above articles of diet include only wild fruits, such as are of in- 
different value to man. At times, however, pigeons have been found to resort 
extensively to grain fields. In many cases the birds have repaired to stubble fields 
where they gleaned the waste grain, wholly worthless of course. Thus near 
Three Rivers, Tulare County, in July, 1891, pigeons were foraging in barley stub- 
ble (Fisher, 1893, p. 31). Then again, in a few instances, newly sown grain 
has been resorted to, with the result that more or less damage has been inflicted — 
the onlv way known in which the Band-tailed Pigeon affects man’s interests unfa- 
vorably. At Palo Alto in January, 1901, good sized flocks were observed on 
newly sown barley fields. The crop of one bird was crammed with seed barley 
(Grinnell, MS). At Santa Monica, in February and March, 1901, flocks were 
feeding in grain fields. Their depredations were complained of by a rancher who 
had put orff poison for them. Eight of the birds thus killed were examined 
( Swarth, MS) . 
“In March, 1901, great flocks of the pigeons poured into San Gorgonio Pass 
and fed in the barley fields. Eor about two weeks there were hundreds of them. 
* * Their method of feeding was peculiar. Instead of spreading out they 
kept together, alternatel}^ walking and flying. Those behind would fly a few feet 
ahead of the advance line, alight, and walk along picking up grain until other 
rear ones would fly ahead and it came their turn again. In this way the flock 
