THE STOCK DOVE 149 



after feeding in the fields all day, betake themselves at dusk 

 when gorged with food to the nearest fir plantations where 

 they roost. They repair to the bean- and pea-fields before the 

 crops are carted, and perch upon the stacks or " stocks " to 

 feed ; and in severe weather they not unfrequently venture 

 into the farmyards to pick up any stray grain they can find. 

 If the Stock Dove robs the farmer of his grain and other seed 

 crops, it makes ample amends for its depredations in consum- 

 ing millions of seeds of the most troublesome weeds, such as 

 charlock and dock, which, if not kept in check, would soon 

 change fertile fields into unproductive wastes. 



The Turtle Dove {Turtur auritus) here claims a few 

 words of passing notice. It is the most locally distributed 

 of all our British Pigeons, and, unlike any of them, is a 

 migratory bird. It is found principally in the southern and 

 midland districts of England, appearing to shun the mountain- 

 ous country of the west and north. The Turtle Dove is one 

 of the latest of our summer migrants, not arriving in its usual 

 haunts until the end of April or early in May. Its home is 

 in the woodlands — the quiet dense game coverts, old forests, 

 and the rich pastoral districts where the hedges are allowed 

 to grow high, and where there are plenty of trees scattered 

 up and down the fields and in the lanes. It is shy and 

 retiring in its habits, far more often heard than seen, and at 

 the least alarm seeks shelter in the nearest trees. The Turtle 

 Dove is particularly noisy just after its arrival, and its rich 

 soft coo fills the entire woodlands with a gladsome sound. 

 Towards the end of May the slight nest is made either in 

 one of the forest trees or in a tall evergreen or dense hedge- 

 row. It is composed of a few sticks, and is simply a slight 

 platform through which the eggs may often be seen from 

 below. These are two in number — white, slightly suffused 

 with buff, in colour. Their small size readily distinguishes 

 them from those of the Stock Dove, which they closely 



