Dove Tale

A DOVE SITS ON the telephone cable 30 feet above the street. Another dove lands next to it. They are Chinese spotted doves, Stroptopelia chinensis , the most common species hereabouts, the ones with the whiskey-voiced coo. But no matter--they are still symbols of peace.

The first begins bobbing its head up and down as if trying to keep its balance on the swaying wire. At the bottom of each bob, it emits a loud, gurgling krrookroo. The other does the same: Two doves bobbing and krroo ing on the gently swaying wire. Then the second sidles over to the first and suddenly begins to whap it with its wings. The first whaps back. They stop and bob and krrookroo some more. The first then sidles over to the second and whaps it. Another rest. No. 2 now jumps down to a second cable that runs parallel to the first. No. 1 follows. Krrookroo. Krrookroo. Bob. Sidle. Whap, whap.

This is only the preliminary round. The second round begins when No. 2 sidles over, jumps up in the air, lands on top of No. 1, and whaps it with both wings. Several feathers fall from No. 1, who then bobs and krroo s, then jumps on top of No. 2 and returns the favor. No. 1 now jumps back up to the original cable. Bob, krrookroo . No. 2 follows. Bob, sidle, et cetera.

This continues for at least five more minutes until both birds apparently grow tired of the proceedings and depart the scene without any clear-cut decision.

This activity leads one to several deductions: First, both birds are males; two, they are engaged in some sort of battle over mates or territory; three, they may be symbols of peace, but, like symbolic animals the world over, they do not live up to human expectations. It could be said, however, that they seem to be operating on the premise that keeping the peace is worth fighting for.