little Ground Dove
in the South Atlantic and Gulf States. While, sometimes, small flocks of
them nest in a community, they generally nest in companies of two or
three pairs. Their nests are generally at a low elevation, in trees,
bushes and often upon the ground. Their nests are made entirely of twigs
and rootlets, and eggs may be found from early in April until the latter
part of September, as they often raise two or three broods a season. The
two eggs are white. Size 1.15 x .80. Data.--Refugio Co., Texas, May 3,
1899. Two eggs laid on the ground in a slight cradle of twigs.
Collector, James J. Carroll.

[Illustration 195: White.]
[Illustration: Passenger Pigeon.]
[Illustration: White.]
[Illustration: Mourning Dove.]
[Illustration: right hand margin.]

Page 194

317. ZENAIDA DOVE. _Zenaida zenaida._

Range.--West Indies; in summer, on the Florida Keys, but not in great
numbers.

This species is similar in size to the Mourning Dove, but it has a short
and square tail, and the secondaries are tipped with white, and the
underparts more ruddy. They generally nest upon the ground, but
occasionally in small bushes, laying two white eggs a trifle larger than
those of the preceding species. Size 1.20 x .90. The nests are made of
grasses and twigs, on the ground under bushes.

[Illustration 196: NEST AND EGGS OF MOURNING DOVE. H. B. Stough.]
[Illustration.]
[Illustration: left hand margin.]

Page 195

318. WHITE-FRONTED DOVE. _Leptotila fulviventris brachyptera._

Range.--Mexico and Central America north to southern Texas.

Slightly larger than the last, much paler below, with no black ear mark
as in the two preceding species, and with the forehead whitish. They
build their nests of sticks, grasses and weeds, and place them in
tangled vines and thickets a few feet from the ground. Their two eggs,
which are laid in May and June, have a creamy white or buffy color. Size
1.15 x .85. They cannot be called a common species within our borders.

319. WHITE-WINGED DOVE. _Melopelia asiatica._

Range.--Central America, Mexico and the southwestern border of the
United States.

This species is 12 inches in length, has a black patch on the ear
coverts, white tips to the greater and lesser coverts and some of the
secondaries, and broad white tips to the outer tail feathers, which are
black. This species is very abundant in some localities within our
borders. Their nests are very frail platforms of twigs placed in trees