Station number 8 was located in the low part of the square mile. Both 
the northern and southern part of the area were marked by hills which 
rose about 200 feet above the level of the road. The timber-covered 
hills to the north of the station were located about one fourth of a 
mile from the road but the hills to the south, which were in permanent 
pasture, rose gradually from the side of the road. The road on which 
this study area was located followed a valley which ran between these 
two hills in a northeasterly direction. 
The absolute census was made by entering the area before sunrise 
and before sunset and locating the birds by their calls. When a dove 
called its position was located by the use of field glasses and plotted 
on amap. Only the doves which called and were found to be established 
in a certain territory were counted. Doves which were only seen were 
disregarded. Fortunately in most cases the doves were located far enough 
apart to avoid counting the same dove twice. By working two hours around 
sunrise and sunset the whole square mile could be covered in four or five 
days. Sometimes it was difficult to locate a dove in a thicket even 
though it would be calling continuously. The most difficult part of the 
census was to determine the correct number if several doves were calling 
in the same thicket or grove. In order to make an accurate count the 
grove would have to be visited several times. The absolute censuses 
were conducted as close as time allowed to the five crew counts. The 
one-man call count was run one morning and one afternoon a week while 
absolute census was being made. 
Observations 
Foote (in letter) says that 3/8 of a mile is the maximum distance 
that the cooing call of a dove is ordinarily heard. Therefore, in 
comparing the number of doves found during the absolute censuses with 
the averages recorded by the call counts, only those doves are consider- 
ed which were found within 3/8 of a mile of station number 8, 
The average figures used for any station on the route are obtained 
for the five crew count by dividing the total number of doves heard by 
the number of persons taking part in the count since each crew member 
kept separate results. The average figures for the one-man count are 
obtained by dividing the total number of doves heard at a station during 
a month by the number of times the station was visited that month. 
During the month of April no absolute census was taken at station 
number 8 but figures are available from the one-man count and the five 
crew count. The morning count by the five crews gave an average of 2 oly 
doves while the morning average for the one-man count was 2.00 doves. 
The evening count was 2.80 doves heard by the five crews and an average 
of 1.00 dove ver trip was heard during the one-man count. 
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