ROCK DOVE. 277 



is deformed by a vast inflated crop, which is soihetimes double, 

 forces the bird to draw back its head, and gives its body an Un- 

 natural degree of obliquity. These monstrosities, like double 

 flowers, please persons of monstrous tastes, but are inconsistent 

 with true beauty, and as much inferior to their originals in 

 grace as a huge city dame, bloated and covered w^ith flounces, 

 frills, and ribbons, is to a rustic maiden clad in simple attire, and 

 glowing with the ruddy hue of pure and uncontaminated blood. 



YouxG. — The young, which at first are covered with loose 

 yellow down, are when fledged of the same colour as the old 

 birds, the head and neck however being of a dull purplish- 

 blue, without the bright green and purple tints of the old, and 

 the wings tinged with brow^n. At the first moult, they acquire 

 their full colouring, only that a little brow^n remains on the 

 edge of the wings. 



Since the above was written, I have received matter for a 

 continuation to this article, which I trust w411 thereby be 

 greatly increased in interest. Being very desirous of obtaining 

 a fresh specimen or two of this interesting bird for dissection, 

 I intimated my wish to Dr. Th. J. Aitkin, Lecturer on Phy- 

 siology, Materia Medica, and Botany, in Edinburgh, w^ho 

 kindly undertook to procure some from Shetland. Accordingly, 

 I have been favoured with two specimens accompanied with 

 the following satisfactory account drawn up by James Barclay, 

 Esq., and communicated in a letter to Dr. Aitkin. 



" Although we cannot boast in Shetland of having such 

 numerous flocks of Pigeons as those which Mr. Audubon men- 

 tions having seen in America, yet in most of our islands they 

 are met with in considerable numbers. Their chief places of 

 resort are the most rocky of our shores, where there are natural 

 caves, in which they can shelter from the storm, and find con- 

 venient and safe retreats to build in. In the parishes of Sand- 

 wick and Dunrossness these birds are more numerous than any- 

 where else in Shetland, except perhaps Fetlar ; and this may be 

 accounted for by these places being by far the most extensively 

 cultivated, and the most fertile grain parishes in these islands. 



