Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-02-26
The DeceItful Character OF the Turtle
Dove.

Appleton S Journal: THAT trim, gentle
looking, drab-colored bird, enormously called
turtle dove by jewellers 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 heinous in the ex-
IRENE, Is not so innocent after all. It's moan
ing, sad sounding voice IS q mOckery and
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 it mas once been Insulted or injured by
some Of It's kind, the dove becomes as cruel
and OutrageCusly heartless as any murderer
can be. Some years ago | witnessed a fight
between two female moaning doves which,
for utter righteousness, could not be exceed
ed. l was angling IN brook for sun perch,
half prone on a grassy bank lost in a brown
study, with a cigar between my lips, when l
happened to see a dove alIght on a cnarled
bough of a plane tree a few yards distant.
Immediately 1t began TO coo in that dolefully
piaintive strain so well known to every lover
of nature, and was soon followed by a male,
who perched himself within foot or two Of
her. l espIed their nest, not yet finished, IN
the fork Of an irOnwCOd near By. The birds
made very expressive signs TO each other with
their heads, by a series Of bows and sidewise
motions, Of which l understood enough TO
ka0w that some intruder was near-perhaps
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 l did not care
to move just to humor the whim OF PAIR of
billing doves. 1t proved, however, alter all,
that l was not the cause of alarm. Another
female dove presently dropped like a hawk
from a dense, dark mass Of leaves above the
PAIR, and struck the first on the back with
Oeak and wings, A fight ensued. witnessed
with calm interest by myself and the male
dove, At first the combatants struggled
desperately together on the bough, fercely
beating each other with their wings, and
puckiDg cut the feathers from breast and
neck, all the time uttering low, querulous
notes, differing from anything | had ever
before heard. Pretty soon they both fell off
the bough and came whirliug down upon the
ground, where they continued the battle with
constantly increasing fury, their eyes fairly
flashing fire. They cut and thrust with their
beaks Ike 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 made an
end of it had l not interfered. The van
pushed bird was minus an eye, and was I'M
able to fly for some minutes. The secret of
the battle was Jealousy. The male sat by
and watched IN a n0nchalant way until Il
was all over, when he very lovingly strutted
up to the dove and began cooling ia q low,
soothing tone. From that day to this I have
repudIated the sentiment, innocent as a
DIVE , -