Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-21
DOVES DEVAsTATE CROPS
WHITE WIMGED FLYERS DO
UNTOLD DAMAGE YEARLY
hui,frly Rnpidly and Duplication of
Legs Way BE Found Every
TwCnty-Onr Days.
-, TOM 4. MARSHALL,

Il
ins MIR White Wings Tho apuaritiHr
E"Wnod ~ white who manipulAtcS tho
nr"om While mnnicurins, the streets
sparrow The bird have in mind is
the white winged dove. hailing from,
me state Of sonora Mexico, winged
dove passenger or wild pigeon. with
he winged markings OF a mocking
h.rd; whose cooling notes arc iikomei
% the first attempts At Growing by :,
young rooster
Win, slender body elongated or
pointed wings this bird apparition.
regularly migrate between sonora and
;hr.-ond; ore. also found in Texas, New
migration or arrival and departure is
timed by food conditions at both ends
Of. the route. They may be safely
scheduled TO arrive in the salt River
Valley. "ear phocniN. Arizona. between
May and -, their comm: due i'm a
measure 10 climatic conditions.
Departs tbout september !.
pcparting about September /, or i'm
hey leave in body Tor more Southern
cIime~. ut a point where thousa nds
Of birds were in evidence the day be-
fore. not Bird viii be found after the
Ggst frosty night Reproduction Is
heir slogan Immediately after arrival.
Thousands of nests are constructed III
seven feet high: shabby platform of
iwigS lined with bits OF weeds. moss
and leaves. usually contain two small
White eggs. Nests are alternately COW
cred 10y the male and female. They are
very prolific and u duplication of Gags
may be found in the nest every TWEEN
ty-Ouc days. The young birds or iiedS
l!nSS arc frequently crowded from the
nest prior to the time they are able
20 take wing. that their successors and
klnfolkS may he Matched.
The Melouc!ia aSiatica or white
wing" are larger than the mourning
dove, but smaller than the old timed
mn, INV nj. a., rnf - y ~
They seldom aggregate III large num-
hsTS. arg usually found In pairs. Singles
HGishts II the advance BIRD or leader
: Killed, the balance of the flock fire.
Qucntly tumble and turn, milling in
scntinG at that time most difficulty
shooting. y shot at q "coastinG bird
Is considered one Of the most diihcult
by expert Wing shots.
Destroy Crops Quickly.
When feeding field is located by
the white wings they are frequently
attracted hy the thousands. y crop
IS soon devastated unless the birds
are shot out requiring the work
OF many hunters, as they are not easily
discouraged from ircaucntinG or &C
cupNlnS faVoritc feeding grounds. The
nillo maize - an especial dclicacy Tor
the Sonora pi-eon. There arc times
consent. removes the bag limit: 1, is
rapidly reload and select available
transit. When the The hunters are called
upon to preserve crops, hundreds OF
h'rds are killed in single afternoon
situations. "s thcy are hounteously
remembered with the markings" Of IL
Whitc-winE pot pic.
Arc Hard 10 shout on Wing.
The real test Of shooting ability
comes with the successful negotiation
Of a double or the "ny-way' OF the
Sonoras. VINO follow brazcd aerial
raii5 Of jsn, Thyse yWny< fr are
thcir breeding, roostnS or feeding
grounds, to tEc water hoics." The
night frequently follows the course OF
and extremely rapid unless they start
to NOlplane or coast down 10 feed or
water, at which time the corkacrew
cut out at that particular time. the
sT4tter-Gun artist is entitled TO honor
able mention
Sale River Valley is about twenty
miles wide and fifty miles long. Near
the base Of SQuaw Peak or adjacent
70 the ella River is their favoritc nest
year 10 year, 10 he slightly renovated
on the retura from the south AS II
". Il Twi,chcn, OF Phoenix. Ariz.,
| was introduced TO a whitc-wing
nlsht in Paradise Valley. Stationed
near each other, the result OF shots;
could bc seen and results noted My
position was near chaparral thickci.
anuui thG center OF the ANYWAY. y
fields to tho water holes. obscsscd with
q burning thirst. They were certainly
carrying the aerial mail and il was
a ease OF good judgment" when they
We're able to read velocity. dstance
and height. pIacin. The daylight ahead
dove pass.