214 SYNOPSIS AND ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
16; STOCK-DOVE 
(Pages 62-67) 
Columba enas. One of the very large Pigeon family 
(Columbide, Lat., columba,a dove or pigeon). ‘ Stock ’ 
either because once thought to be the stock of the 
varieties of domestic pigeon (but the rock-dove now 
thought so), or that it likes to nest in stocks of trees 
(pollard tops, etc.). ‘Dove’ is variously applied to 
several kinds of pigeon. A wild pigeon of a greyish- 
blue tint of plumage as seen flying (head, throat and 
wings greyish-blue). Seen close the wings have black 
marks, the neck is green and iridescent, and the breast 
is wine red (whence name w@nas, Gr. oimos, red wine), 
the tail grey barred, black at the end, and eyes and feet 
red. Distinguish it from the more common ring-dove 
or wood-pigeon (which see) which is one-third larger 
(length of stock-dove, 14 in., about), and which is blue, 
but also very soft light chestnut brown, as seen from a 
distance, and has (whence name) a white mark (incom- 
plete ring) on the neck, and shows white wing feathers 
in flight (distinctive), eyes and beak yellow, and legs not 
so bright red. Both these birds are commonly called 
wood-pigeons. Distinguish also the much smaller and 
much rarer turtle-dove (which see) and also the rock-dove, 
which is all blue, but has white rump (distinctive) and 
lives at the seaside and breeds in caverns (the stock- and 
