COLUMBID^. 531 



Family I.— Columbid^e. {Leach.) 



Genus Columba. {Linn.) Dove. 



In Britain this family is restricted to the four cloves— the 

 ring dove (or cushat), stock dove, rock dove, and turtle dove. 

 By early authors the various species were placed in one genus 

 — Culumba; but although not represented in Biitain, the 

 family contains other groups, such as the genus Vinarjo (Cuv.), 

 in which the bill is thicker and stronger and the feet better 

 adapted for perching ; Ptilonopus (Swains) ; and Lophyrus 

 (Yeill), in which genus the wings become concave, short, and 

 rounded, the tarsi lengthened, like the pheasant's, besides others 

 which come nearer the typical doves, such as the Nicobar and 

 Corunculated pigeons, which lay several eggs on the ground. 

 The young are covered with down, and follow their mother like 

 chickens ; but they feed on grain and seeds as well as the fruit 

 or mast of certain trees and shrubs. The plumage of our four 

 British species is plain — both sexes similar. They have several 

 broods in the year, lay only two eggs at a time, the male and 

 female taking their turn at incubation. Unlike other birds, 

 they feed their young from the crop by vomiting up their food. 

 Their bills being weak, they swallow grain, seeds, peas, and 

 beans entire, as they cannot break them. Rosalind and Celia 

 say in " As You Like It" — 



Celia — " Here comes Monsieur le Beau, 

 Rosalind — With his mouth full of news, 



Celia— Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their y< ung. 

 Rosalind— Then we shall be news-cramm'd." 



The Ring Dove or Cushat. 

 Columba Palumbus. {Linn.) 



"Through lofty groves the cushat roves, 

 The path of man to shun it ; 

 The hazel bush o'erhangs the thrush, 

 The spreading thorn the linnet." — Burns. 



This is the largest European species, and indigenous with us 

 -amongst our earliest breeders, beginning in February, and has 



