* 
THE TURILE DOVE 209 
of masonry in the opposite island. That they are truly wild here 
there can be no doubt. Indeed, the precipitous shores of Scot- 
land, the Hebrides, and Orkneys, afford them exactly the kind 
of retreat that suits their habits; and here among inaccessible 
rocks they build their nests and on their return from their inland 
marauding expeditions, pass their nights. Their attitudes, mode 
of flight, progression when on the ground, note, and manner of 
feeding, are the same as those of the common tame Pigeon ; and, 
as might be expected, both wild and tame birds agree in declining 
to perch on trees. 
_ Macgillivray, who had opportunities of watching them in their 
native haunts at all seasons, informs us that they leave their caves 
in the crags at early dawn, and, proceeding along the shore, unite with 
other parties on their way till they reach the cultivated grounds, 
where they settle in large flocks, diligently seeking for grains of 
barley and oats, seeds of wild mustard and other weeds, picking 
up also the small snails } which abound in sandy pastures near the 
sea. In summer they make frequent short visits of this kind, 
returning at intervals to feed their young. In winter they form 
much larger flocks, and, making the best use of their short 
day, feed more intently, thus holding out a temptation to the 
fowler, who, if sufficiently wary, can sometimes approach near 
enough to kill a large number at a shot. They are supposed to 
pair for life; and this, I believe, is generally the case with tame 
Pigeons. They lay two eggs, and sit for three weeks. The male 
and the female sit, alternately relieving each other. They breed 
twice a year, but the number of eggs never exceeds two. Hence 
the old Scottish saying, ‘a doo’s cleckin’, for a family of only two 
children—a boy and a girl. They may be distinguished from the 
other common species while flying, by showing a large patch of 
white between the back and the tail. 
THE TURTLE DOVE 
TURTUR COMMUNIS 
Head and nape ash, tinged with wine-red ; a space on the sides of the neck 
composed of black feathers tipped with white; neck and breast pale 
wine-red ; back ash-brown; primaries dusky; secondaries bluish ash ; 
scapulars and wing-coverts rust-red with a black spot in the centre of 
each feather ; abdomen and lower tail-coverts white ; tail dusky, all but 
the two middle feathers tipped with white, the outer feather edged with 
white externally; irides yellowish red; feet red; bill brown. Eggs 
white. 
NEARLY three thousand years ago the Turtle Dove had the dis- 
tinction of being enumerated among the pleasant things of spring : 
1 Helix ericetorum, a flattish, striped shell ; and Bulimus acutus, an oblong, 
conical shell, mottled with grey and black. 
B.B. P 
