EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 157 



FAMIL Y COL UMBIDJE, 



OB PIGEONS. 



Of the six species of Pigeons included in the British List, 

 three are resident, one is a regular summer visitor, and the other 

 two are of accidental occurrence. 



THE KING DOVE. 



(Columba palumbus.) 

 Plate 47, Fig. 8. 



The Ring Dove is a common resident in the wooded districts 

 of Great Britain. It is confined to the western Palaearctic region, 

 where it is a resident, excepting the most northern portions 

 of its range. In Scandinavia and West Eussia it is a common 

 summer visitor up to lat. 64°. In the Ural Mountains it does not 

 appear to breed north of lat. 60°, but occasionally wanders east- 

 wards into the valley of the Tobol. It breeds sparingly through- 

 out the basin of the Mediterranean, but is principally known in 

 that district as a winter visitor. 



The nest is rudely made, almost flat, and is merely composed 

 of a few dead sticks so lightly interwoven that the eggs can often 

 be seen through it from below. 



The eggs are almost invariably two in number, never more ; 

 but in some cases the bird will sit on a single egg. They are 

 rather small for the size of the bird, elongated and oval in shape, 

 and pure white. They are very smooth, and more polished than 

 the eggs of the Owls, but less so than those of the Woodpeckers. 

 They vary in length from 1*7 to 155 inch, and in breadth from 

 1*35 to 1"15 inch. As a rule they are larger than those of the 

 Rock Dove, and may be distinguished from those of the Stock 

 Dove by being much whiter. 



