12 
THE ZEN AIDA DOVE. 
avidity, until placed under the care of a pair of common tame Pigeons, 
which at once fostered them. 
The cooing of this species so much resembles that of the Carolina Dove, 
that, were it not rather soft, and heard in a part of the world where the 
latter is never seen, you might easily take it for the notes of that bird. 
Morning is the time chosen by the Zenaida Dove to repeat her tender tales 
of love, which, she does while perched on the low large branch of some tree, 
but never from the ground. Heard in the wildest solitudes of the Keys, 
these notes never fail to remind one that he is in the presence and under 
the protection of the Almighty Creator. 
During mid-day, when the heat is almost insufferable in the central parts 
of the Keys resorted to by these birds, they are concealed and mute. The 
silence of such a place at noon is extremely awful. Not a breath of air is 
felt, tior an insect seen, and the scorching rays of the sun force every ani- 
mated being to seek for shelter and repose. 
From what I have said of the habits of the Zenaida Dove, yon may easily 
conceive how difficult a task it is to procure one. I have had full experi- 
ence of the difficulty, and entire satisfaction in surmounting it, for in less 
than an hour, with the assistance of Captain Day, I shot nineteen indivi- 
duals, the internal and external examination of which enabled me to 
understand something of their structure. 
The flesh is excellent, and they are generally very fat. They feed on 
grass seeds, the leaves of aromatic plants, and various kinds of berries, not 
excepting those of a tree which is extremely poisonous, — so much so, that 
if the juice of it touch the skin of a man, it destroys it like aquafortis. 
Yet these berries do not injure the health of the birds, although they 
render their flesh bitter and unpalatable for a time. For this reason, the 
fishermen and wreckers are in the habit of examining the crops of the 
Doves previous to cooking them. This, however, only takes place about 
the time of their departure from the Keys, in the beginning of October. 
They add particles of shell or gravel to their food. 
From my own observations, and the report of others, I am inclined to 
believe that they raise only two broods each season. The young, when yet 
unfledged, are of a deep leaden or purplish-grey colour, the bill and legs 
black, nor is it until the return of spring that they attain their full plumage. 
The male is larger than the female, and richer in the colouring of its 
plumage. Their feathers fall off at the slightest touch, and like all other 
Pigeons, when about to die, they quiver their wings with great force. 
The eggs of this species measure one inch and a quarter in length, by 
nearly seven-eighths in breadth ; and are abruptly pointed at the smaller end 
1 am informed by the Earl of Derby that this Pigeon is raised with ease in 
