178 PIGEONS AND DOVES. 



patches at each side of the base of the neck are tlie 

 distinguishing mark of the Ring-Dove. 



STOCK-DOVE — 13 inclies ; no wliite on hind-neck or wings ; 

 two l)lack spots on eacli wing ; a little white on the 

 outside tail-feathers. 



ROCK-DOVE— 13 inches ; lower hack white ; hlack douhle 

 cross-bar on wing. 



TUllTLE-DOVE — 11 inches; riul(ly-l)rown ahove; pale wine- 

 colour on breast ; patch of mixed black and white at 

 sides of hind-neck ; belly white ; tail-feathers dark — all, 

 except two central ones, tipped broadly white, and the 

 outside ones edged white. 



STOCK-DOVE. — 13 inclies. Head blue-gray; 

 hind-neck glossy-green ; upper parts drab-gray, but 

 blue-gray from lower back to tail inclusive, the 

 latter broadly banded black at the end, and with a 

 little white on the outside feathers ; two black spots 

 on each wing ; breast wine-colour, becoming clear 

 gray on lower parts ; bill yellow, red at base ; feet 

 red. Resident. 



Eggs. — 2, rounded, glossy-white; 1'5 x 1*1 inch 

 (plate 133). 



Nest. — Of roots and twigs, in holes in trees and 

 pollard -tops, in thick ivy, on clifts and in caverns, in 

 rabbit-burrows and beneath furze-bushes. 



Distribution.— Most parts of England ; still work- 

 ing its way up through Scotland ; breeds, albeit 

 sparsel}'', in parts of Ireland. 



The Stock-Dove is less common than the Ring- 

 Dove. It nests principally in woods, using a hole 

 in a tree-trunk in which to deposit its eggs. At 



