Arizona republican., 1908-05-04

brought down by hitting in the upper left hand shoulder. penetrating into the vital region of it's heart. Having been ignorant of the law relating to the shooting of moose, I very incau- tiously informed the game warden that had secured the four moose and was taken into custody. I was however immediately released upon my own recognizance and through the inter- vention of legal and official friends. by the payment of nominal fine, and returned homeward bound. Our guide, Murphy, knew the law and had intend- ed asking me to divide up the game equally among our party thus avoid ing detection. but the game warden arrived in our midst before he had that opportunity We were allowed to take the game. Ever since that occur renee have always faithfully observed and respected the game laws of the localities in which I hunted.
 It is scarcely needless to state that l am and always shall be, in favor of protecting our wild game to the fullest extent O: the law.
 Why the local hunters persist in call ing these birds wild doves" or white wings" is beyond the ken of the ornith- ologist. They are called passenger pigeons (ectopistes migratorious of the family COlumbidae) or wild pigeon. There are upward of three hundred birds of this order that are listed, but only twelve species are found in North America. The wild pigeon migrates north from Brazil and Central Ameri- ca to Montana, Washington and Ore gon. or thereabOuts. and thence south ward again to near the equator. with the seasons, always following the warn zones. It breeds late in. .the win ter or early in spring. in far osuthern attitudes, and when the young are strong enough for distant flight. the migatOry instinct asserts itself late in March and early in April. preserving thei9 migrations northward in large numbers. feeding all the while. until late in August when the southern flight begins. They do not remain long in one place when returning. There are also a few stragglers that remain in this latitude during the winter morths.
 The wild pigeon is about twelve to fourteen inches in length. The male has upper parts bluish slate shaded with olive gray on it's back and shoul- ders. metallic violet, gold and green ish reflections on the back and sides of it's head. The wing covets with vel vety black spots. throat blush slate, quickly shading into d rich reddish buff on breast. and paling into white underneath; the middle tail feathers are black. fading from pearlish into white. The female possesses the same characteristics, except that the upper parts are washed with more olive brown: has less irredescence; breast pale grayish brown fading to white underneath The white wing of the family COlumbidae bears striking re- semblance to tEe male members of ectopistes although of a slightly diff ferent species. It k a male bird. hay ing a band of white along its tail feathers and several white feathers in it's wings. hence the term white wings" It is a larger bird than those previously described. and appears a little later in the season in this lati- tude than the others.
 A noted ornithologist has truly said ''The modern mind, accustomed to deal oafy with pitfiui- of featheFed races can scarcely grasp the vast mum bers of these birds that once made our land the sportsman;s paradise Unlim- tied netting has resulted in sending over one million pigeons to market from q single roost in one year. leaving perhaps as many more wounded birds and starving almost helpless squabs behind. until the poultry stalls became so glutted with pigeons that the low price per barrel scarcely paid for their transportation. and they were fed to the hogs This abominable practice of netting and promiscuous killing of wild pigeons discontinued only because there were no other flocks left to cap ture or k:ll. and the few remaining birds were driven to farther southerly attitudes to change their habits and live chiefly in couples. The eXtermin- ation of the passenger pigeon has pro- gressed so rapidly that it has become as scarce as the great auk along the coasts"
 There is a vast difference between the passenger pigeon and the small mourn ing dove Czenaidura macrourD seen in this latitude from March to Novem- Der
 The band-tailed or whitecollared pigeon (Columba fasciatO is mostly confined to the mountainous regions, when acorns are abundant. It is of the same size as the domestic pigeon.
 l. N. JESUNOFSKY.
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