The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-26

1--WE found them quite numerous over
at DOremuS, where the only suggestion
of human habitatiOn was the board
placed near the railroad track with the
single word, the name of the station,
upon it, they can be relied upon to be
not too far from water. A mourning
dove in sagebrush desert is as Ger
tain harbinger of the presence of wa
ter, as is an oasis in Sahara. They
drink often, and those who hunt Them
especially Indians, frequently make use
of this well known habit to secure them
easily.
These birds are very much attached
to each other, and the shooting of one
often brings its mate back, within
gunshOt, to investigate the delay of
its fellow. On such occasions the Sec
end bird will alight near, and give ev-
cry evidence of anxious solicitude,
peering about, moving its beautiful
head in its characteristic fashion, and
sometimes uttering its sad, sweet call
Their Nesting Habits.
In the matter of a nesting site, the
mourning dove appears remarkably in
different. In some localities it seems to
build upon the ground more often than
elsewhere; again, one will rarely find
nest in such a situation, but must
look to the horizontal limbs of trees,
and suitable bushes, for this nest The
nest itself is an exceedingly slipshod
affair; few rather coarse straws and
weed stalks put together so loosely
that the eggs may be seen from be-
low; and as there is really no pretense
of a lining, the young birds would
seem to be almost grilled upon the
cob-work bottom of the nest. Some
one, Mrs. Wright. / believe. calls the
female dove a "spineless bundle of
flesh and pretty feathers, gentle and
refined in manners, but slack and in
competent in all she does"
Two pure white eggs are laid, and
usually two broods are reared in sea-
son. Sometimes an attempt at a third
brood is made. but this. l am satisfied.
is rare. Sometimes when a nest has
been destroyed. or repeated mishaps
have overtaken the doves, they nest
quite late in the season. l found a
male bird on a nest on the 10th day of
August, 1907.
inhumanity of Game Laws.
Here It might be well to direct at
tention TO the inhumanity of that por-
ton of our game laws which permits
an open season for these birds to begin
so early that in many instances one or
fore the young are able to care for
themselves. That is inexcusable bru-
tality, for there is time enough in
which TO hunt these gentle creatures,
without destroying the adult birds and
starving to death the helpless little
ones. Utah ought TO join the rapidly
increasing list of states-twenty-one in
number now-which permit no open
season for this bird. 1t has been DEM
onstrated beyond successful dispute
that there are few birds so nearly free
from Objectionable habits, and so ex-
tremely valuable to all tillers of the
SOIL AS already indicated, these birds
destroy an almost incredible amount
of weed seeds.
The work Of incubation is shared by
both parents. l have taken male birds
on the nest.
The young also are cared for by both
birds. They are fed for the most part
on what is known as pigeons milk"
a food that is regurgitated by the old
birds. This comprises about 20 per cent |
Of the food of the young, the remain |
der consisting of several kinds of seeds. |
such as sorrels, rag weed, pigeon grass, |
etc.