Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-02-28
A Bird Combat.
hnnlpton'4 .Innrnul

That trim, gentle-looking, drab-color-
cd bird, enormously called tnrtc-doye
by dwelcrs in the United States, and
generally deemed so utterly innocent
and pure that to kill it for the table or
any other use il branded as heinous in
the extreme. is not 80 innocent after all.
It's moaning, sad-sounding voice is u
mockery and u cheat. Its soft, dark
eyes are Il sham; It's sober Quaker garb
ii calculated to deceive; its tlmid move
menLs are not to be trusted. When it
has once been injured by one Of its
kind the dove becomes rs cruel and out
rageously hoartess rs any murderer can
be. Some years ago | witnessed u fight
between two female moaning doves
which, for utter righteousness could
not be exceeded. ! was angling IN n
brook for stm-perch, half prone ON u
grassy bank lost in Il brown study, with
u cigar between my lips, when hap
penud to see dove alight on IL gnarleG
bough Of planc-tree u few yards dis
tant. Immediately il began to COO in
TINT dolefully-plaintiye strain so we'll
known to every lover Of nature, and
was soon joined by u male, who perch
cd himself within II foot or two Of her.
| cspied their nest, not yet finished, in
the fork Of M ironwood near by. The
birds made very expressive signs TO
each other with their heads by series
of bows and sidewisc motions, OF which
| understood enough TO know that some
intruder was near perhaps they meant
me. Tho fish were not biting any too
well, but the shade was pleasant and
tho grass fragrant, the sound OF the wal
ter very soothing, and tho flow Of the
wind steady and cooling. so | did not
care to move just to humor the whim
Of II pair of billing doves. 1t proved,
however, That | was not the cause of
alarm. Another female dove presently
dropped like hawk from u dark, dense
mass Of leaves above the pair, and
struck the first on the back with bcak
and wings. A fight onsucd, witnessed
with calm interest by myself and the
malo dove.
At first the combatants struggled des-
pcrately together in the bough, Hereby
benting cnch other with their wings,
mud plucking out tho feathers from
breast and neck, all the time utterng
low auorulouB notes, differing from amy
thing Ind over before heard. Pretty
soon they both fell oil the bough, and
came whirllng down upon the ground,
where they continued the battle with
constantly increasing fury, their eyes
fairly flashing fire, and cutting and
thrusting into their beaks like swords
men. Blood began to show itself
about their heads, and III places their
nceks were quite bare OF feathers.
When ut last one of them became SO
exhausted that further struggle was inn
possible, the other proceeded To take Its
stand upon its helpless opponent, and
would have quickly mado IN end Of il
had not interiered. The yanquished
bird was minus MI eye, and was I'm,
able to fly for some minutes. The 50.
cret Of the battle wns iea Iousy. The
mnlo ant Ivy and watched III II noncha
lint way until il was all over, when he
very lovingly strutted w 70 the vlctori
Gus dove and began cooling i'll n low
soothing tone. From that day 10 this
have ropndiatcd the figure "innoeent
as IL dove.