The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-08-23
Il BIRD COMBAT.

That trim, gentle-looking, drab colored
bird, enormously called tuTtle>dOve by
dwellers in the United States and generally
deemed so utterly innocent and pure, that
to kill it for the table or any other use is
branded as criminal IN the extreme, is not
so innocent after all It's moaning, sad
sounding voice is a mockery and a cheat :;
its soft, dark eyes are a sham its sober
Quaker garb is calculated to DECEIVE its
timid movements are not to be trusted
When once it has been insulted or injured
by one Of it's kind, the dove becomes as
cruel and oqtrageously heartless as any
murderer can be. Some years ago ] wit
messed fight between two moaning doves,
which for utter righteousness could not be
exceeded. ! was angling in brook for
sun perch, half prone on a grassy bank,
lost in brown study, with cigar between
my lips, when I happened TO see a dove
alight on gnarled bough of plane tree
few yards distant. Immediately it began
to COO i'll shat dolefully plaintive strain so
well known to every lover of nature, and
was soon Joined by a male, who perched
himself within foot or SO Of her. l espied
their nest, not yet finished, in the fork of
an iron wood tree near by. The birds
made very expressive signs to each other
with their heads by a series of bows, mods
and sidewise motions, of which ! under
stood enough to know that some intruder
was neaT-perbaps they meant me. The
fish were not biting any too well, but the
shade was pleasant and the grass fragrant,
the sound of the water very soothing, and
the flow of the wind steady and cooling, so
| did not care 10 move just 30 humor the
whims of . pair of billing doves. 1t proved
however, after all, that | was not the cause
of alarm. Another female dove presently
dropped like a hawk from a dark, dense
mass of leaves above the pair, and struck
the first on the back with beak and wings.
A fight ensued Witnessed with calm in
terest by myself and the male dOYe.
A. first the combatants struggled des-
peratelv together on the bough, fiercely
beating EACH other with their wings, aud
plucking out the feathers from breast and
neck, all the time uttering low, querulous
notes, different from anything | had ever
before heard. Pretty soon they fell off
the bough and came whnling down upon
the ground, where they continued the bat
tie with constantly increasing fury, their
eyes flashing fire, and cutting and thrust
ing with their beaks like swordsmen.-
Blood began to show itself about their
heads, and in places their necks were quite
bare Of feathers. When at last one of them
became so exhausted that further struggle
was impossible, the other proceeded to
take its stand upon Its helpless opponent,
and would have quickly have made an end
of 1t had not interfered. The vanquished
bird was minus an eye, and was unable to
fly for some minutes. The secret of the
battle was jealousy. The male sat by and
watched in a nonchalant way until it was
all over, SheB he very lovingly strgtted mp
to the victorious bird, and began cooling in
a low, soothing tone. From that day to
this l have lepudiated the figure ''innOcent
as "a dove" and whenever opportunity of
fered, have sped two-ounce arrow full at
the breast Of he bird, widow or no widow.
When properly cooked by parboiling, stuff
ting and baking, a dove is choice bit for
the table. While on this subject, | may
add that III the Southern s. ates doves often
congregate in innumerable sWarms, like
pigeons. and do great damage To the peanut
Gelds yet thore the prejudice against kill
ing them is 50 great that you rarely see
trap por spriug sci for them, or gun lovelled
al them.