342 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



field, helping itself to grain. Like other pigeons it will drink 

 salt as well as fresh water, visiting the shore and marshes for 

 this purpose. The increase and extension of its range north 

 and west has taken place comparatively recently. I remember 

 the first bird shot in eastern Cheshire, brought to me by a 

 keeper who had no idea what it was. Now it is abundant in 

 Cheshire and Lancashire. 



The nest is even more flimsy looking than that of the Ring- 

 Dove, being built of more slender twigs, usually, at no great 

 elevation, in a tree or old untrimmed hedge. Yet it is not 

 loosely put together, for I have; known it, in an exposed 

 position, withstand a winter's storms. Two white eggs, about 

 I "2 by o"9 .of an inch, are laid late in May or in June. The 

 "gentle Turtle," even when a mere down-clad squab, will fight 

 vigorously, striking with its feeble wing, pecking and snapping 

 its soft bill in defiance. 



The mature bird has the head, neck, flanks, and rump blue- 

 grey, and the wings cinnamon, mottled with black. The breast 

 is vinaceous, the abdomen and under tail-coverts are w^hite. 

 The bill is black, the legs and eye-rims are red, and the irides 

 reddish brown. The black and white patch on the side of the 

 neck is absent in the browner and duller young bird, which 

 also has the legs brown. Length, ii'25 ins. Wing, 7 ins. 

 Tarsus, 0*9 in. 



Eastern Turtle-Dove. StreptopcUa orie?tialis (Lath.). 



A single example of the Eastern Turtle-Dove, which inhabits 

 eastern Asia and has occasionally wandered wxst, was taken 

 in Yorkshire in October, 1899, under circumstances which 

 suggested that it was a genuine wanderer. It is a larger bird 

 than ours, darker on the upper parts, has the neck-spot black 

 and pale blue, and the lower parts more vinaceous ; the under 

 tail-cjverts are blue not white. Length, I3'5 ins. \Ving, 77 

 ins. Tarsus, i"i ins. 



