58 BRITISH BIBBS' NESTS. 



Time. — March, April, May, June, and July. 

 However, nests have been found in nearlj^ every 

 month of the year. 



Bemarhs. — Eesident. Notes, a soft coo-coo-co-co, 

 coo. Local and other names: Cushat, Wood Pigeon, 

 Quest, Cushie Doo, Eing Pigeon. Sits pretty close 

 when well hidden, but lightly when in an exposed 

 situation. 



DOVE, ROCK. 



Description of Parent Birds. — Length about 

 fourteen inches. Bill of medium length, nearly 

 straight, and brown tinged with red. Irides light 

 reddish-orange. Head and neck dark bluish-grey, 

 glossed with a purply-red and green sheen on the 

 latter ; back and wing-coverts light pearl-grey ; 

 greater coverts and secondaries marked with black 

 bars ; quills bluish-grey, darkest towards the tips ; 

 rump white ; tail-coverts bluish-grey ; quills bluish- 

 grey, with a darker bar at the tips ; chin dark 

 bluish-grey ; throat and upper part of breast glossed 

 with green, lavender, pur})le, and purplish-red ; 

 lower breast and all under ]iarts grey. Legs and 

 toes purplish-red ; claws brown. 



The female is somewhat smaller, and not so 

 brilliant and distinctive in her coloration. 



Situatiofi and LocaJitij. — Ledges and clefts of 

 maritime and inland cHffs, generally the former, 

 round the coasts of EngUmd, Wales, Scotland, and 

 Ireland, wherever suitable accommodation is to be 

 met with. Our illustration represents a cave in 

 North Uist where numbers of these birds and 

 shags were breeding together. 



Materials. — A small collection of twigs, sticks, 

 seaweed, and bents, roughly constructed, and flat. 



