198 ROCK DOVE. 



of a decayed tree, in a cavity on the top of a pollard 

 (hence probably its name, " Stock"), or in a deserted 

 rabbit burrow, but never on the fork of a tree like the 

 Wood Pigeon or Turtle Dove. Frequently no nest at 

 all is built, but the eggs are simply laid on the decayed 

 wood collected in the bottom of the hole. Occasion- 

 ally the deserted nest of a Magpie or Crow is used. 



The eggs, two in number, are laid in the beginning 

 of April and are a pale creamy white, by which they 

 may be distinguished from the pure white eggs of the 

 Ring Dove or Rock Dove. Two or three broods are 

 sometimes reared, and the birds continue to breed 

 very late in the year. When the young are hatched 

 the parents feed them, as in the case of the other 

 Doves, by ejecting half-digested food from their crops 

 into the mouths of their young ones ; so that in 

 attempting to rear and tame young birds, they wnll 

 have to be " crammed " for some time at first. A 

 curious case of a Stock Dove appropriating a Song 

 Thrush's nest w^as discovered near Queenwood by two 

 of our number in 1885. The Thrush's nest was a new 

 one about ten feet from the ground and well lined 

 with mud. The Stock Dove had filled the nest in 

 with fine roots, so as to form a sort of concave plat- 

 form. Two eggs were laid on this, and when found 

 had been sat on some little time. 



ROCK DOVE. 



COLUMBA LIVIA. 



Family Columbid^. Genus Columba. 



Rockier — Rock Pigeon. 



The Rock Dove is found on all rocky parts of the 

 coasts of Great Britain and Ireland, being most 



