in the Neighbourhood of Thetford, Norfolk. 52 1 



Stock Dove [Qolumba G&nas Linn.), which in all works 

 upon natural history is stated to be only an inhabitant of 

 woods, abounds in this neighbourhood during the spring and 

 summer months, upon our rabbit warrens and heaths, to which 

 it annually resorts for the purpose of nidification ; and it is, in 

 general, the first that arrives in this district for that purpose. 

 The situation which it selects for its nest differs materially 

 from that chosen by its congeners, the ring and turtle cloves 

 (C.Palumbus, C. Turtur), the nests of which are always placed 

 either upon trees or bushes : this species, on the contrary, 

 occupies the deserted rabbit burrows upon warrens ; it places 

 its pair of eggs about a yard from the entrance, generally 

 upon the bare sand, sometimes using a small quantity of dried 

 roots, &c, barely sufficient to keep the eggs from the ground. 

 Besides such situations, on the heaths it nestles under the 

 thick furze bushes (tAex europae N a), which are impervious 

 to rain, in consequence of the sheep and rabbits eating off the 

 young and tender shoots as they grow, always preferring 

 those bushes that have a small opening made by the rabbits 

 near the ground. A few pairs occasionally breed in the holes 

 of decayed trees : this is of rare occurrence in this district. 

 It generally commences breeding by the end of March, or 

 the beginning of April ; the young ones, which are very 

 much esteemed, being ready for the table by the commence- 

 ment of June. Towards the end of October they all leave this 

 neighbourhood, none remaining during the winter. 



This species is decidedly not the origin of our common 

 blue dovecot pigeon, as is clearly shown by Mr. Selby ; it 

 being deficient in the double line qf black across the wings, and 

 the white rump, which is the distinctive character of the rock 

 dove (C Livia Linn.), and from which, in all probability, is 

 derived the dovecot pigeon. 



Ring Plover (Charddrius Hiaticula Linn.), better known 

 here by the provincial name of stonehatch, is generally sup- 

 posed to be a permanent resident, breeding only upon or ad- 

 joining the sea coast. In support of this opinion, in opposition 

 to its migratory movements, the author of the Feathered 

 Tribes says, " It is described as a bird migrating from the 

 British shores to breed, in the edition of Bewick's Birds, 

 dated 1832 ; where, as every body (save the common compilers 

 of books, who most ingeniously contrive to know less, or 

 less accurately, than any body else) knows, if the shores are 

 adapted to its habits, it breeds in all parts of the coast from 

 Kent to Shetland." Had this author investigated this subject 

 more closely, he would have ascertained that a portion of these 

 birds do migrate into the interior of the country at certain 



Vol. IX. — No. 66. qq 



