The Western Mourning Dove 
crotch or upon the horizontal limb of a tree or bush. Fence-corners, the 
tops of stumps, brush-piles, and overgrown stone-heaps are favorite 
places, and occasionally eggs are laid upon the ground with little pretense 
of a nest, or none. This is necessarily the case in sections 
given over to grain-growing; and in such regions, also, 
the danger from ground-haunting, predatory 
animals is greatly reduced. Sometimes the dove 
builds in bush-clumps entirely surrounded by 
water, the purpose being, manifestly, to escape 
prowlers. In the deserts the dove has recourse 
to the cholla cactus, although, truth to tell, she 
is not an adept at this sort of thing, and 
chooses for her site the lower, weathered 
portions of the plant, rather than the “stick- 
ery” top. Again, old Thrashers’ nests or 
those of Brewer Blackbirds, Magpies, and 
Jays afford acceptable foundations. When 
one of these is used, the tenant merely adds 
a few clean straws or twigs by way 
of lining. Now and then, however, 
a quite substantial nest is construct¬ 
ed, and one which reflects credit upon 
the gentle builder. The student of 
caliology, indeed, finds more to won¬ 
der at in the varying artistry of 
doves’ nests than in the case of any 
other group of birds. 
Mourning Doves, like the do¬ 
mesticated varieties of species dis¬ 
tantly related, are very prolific. 
Eggs may be looked for at any time 
from March to September. Indeed, 
a competent observer, Dr. Howard 
Jones, living as far north as south-central Ohio, declares that he has seen 
Doves sitting on fresh eggs every month of the year except December 
and January. According to the same writer, the female dove sometimes 
lays again before the young have flown; in which case the latter must 
assist, perforce, in the duties of incubation. 
An instance came to notice here near Santa Barbara which would go 
to show that oviposition, in case of the Mourning Dove, may be, for the 
annual period of activity, a regularly recurring monthly function inde¬ 
pendent of special stimulus. A nest found on the 31st day of July (1915) 
Taken in Washington 
Photo by F. S. M err ill 
NEST AND EGGS OF WESTERN MOURNING DOVE 
Il 62 
