CAROLINA DOVE, 443 
Brownish-olive, glossed with blue on the crown and nape; below purplish red, becom- 
ing tawny- white on the vent and crissum ; neck wwietallic-golden ; a velvety-black spot on 
the anriculars and others on the wing-coveits and scapulars; middle tail feathers like 
the back, the rest ashy-blue at the base, then crossed by a black bar, then white or 
ashy-white; bill very slender, black; feet carmine; the female and young differ ag in 
the wild pigeon ; length, 11-13; wing, 5-6; tail, 6-7. 
Habitat, United States from Atlantic to Pacific. Canada West. Cuba. South to 
Panama. 
Abundant throughout the State. Resident in Southern, resident in 
part in Middle and Northern Ohio. Breeds. 
The Carolina Dove, also called Turtle and Mourning Dove, is one of our 
best known and familar birds. Its amiable conjugal disposition and 
sweet but mournful cooing, have made it typical of several pleasing 
attributes in song and story. 
Except during the breeding season this species is highly gregarious, 
though flocks of them never attain the magnitude of those of the Wild 
Pigeon. They are to be found everywhere, both in woodland and open 
places. During the breeding season they are found in pairs. The nest 
is placed in horizontal branches of trees, on stumps, rocks, or on the 
ground; in the latter situation rarely, in this vicinity, for the soil being 
.clayey and cold, the eggs are often addled, and this applies to other 
partially ground-nesting birds which nest early, the Brown Thrush, for 
instance. 
None of our birds except a few Hawks and Owls breed as early as the 
Dove. Ihave found the nest with young as early as the middle of April. 
They continue breeding until September. The nest varies in construc- 
tion with its location. When placed in trees it is composed of a few 
sticks somewhat after the fashion of the Cuckoo, but if on a large limb, 
it is often but a sufficient rim of twigs and straw to retain the eggs. 
When on the ground a few straws and dead leaves are the only indica- 
tions of an attempt at construction. The eggs are two in number, pure 
white, elliptical, and measure about 1.05 by .86. 
ORDER GALLINA. GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 
DAP Ye MDA GR TD A TURKEYS’. 
Hind toe shortened, elevated. Tarsi, toes and nasal fosse naked. Head bare of 
feathers, sparsely bristly, with wattles and caruncles. A pectoral tuft of bristly feath- 
ers. Tarsi usually spurred in the male. Plumage iridescent. Size large. 
GENUS MELEAGRIS. Linnezeus, 
Tarsi scutellate in front and behind, reticulate on the sides. Tail of 18 feathers. 
Forehead with a depending fleshy cone. Head and half of neck without feathers. 
