I 



178 Stock Dot-e. 



The STOCK DOVE, or original of the pi- 

 geon genus, in its natural or wild state, is 

 thus described ; of a deep blue and ash co- 

 lour, the breast darkened with a fine change- 

 able green and purple ; the sides of Uic 

 neck of a reddisli gold colour ; its wings 

 marked with two black bars, one on the 

 quill feathers, and the other on the covert ; 

 the back white, and the tail barred near the 

 end with black. The ring dove is yet 

 held by naturalists to be distinct from the 

 stock dove, and it would seem that the 

 TURTLE DOVE is equally so from both. 



In this country, the blue dove-house 

 FiGEON is thfe most common, and the only 

 WILD SPECIES are the ring doves, or wood 

 pigeons, and the turtle doves, which are to 

 be found in all parts of South Britain, breed- 

 ing during the spring and summer^ and re- 

 tiring to the deepest recesses of the woods, 

 in the winter season, whence, probably, the 

 turtle has been supposed to emigrate. 



But both in the ancient and modern 

 world, this beautiful and variegated genus of 

 birds, has been cherished by man, as a 



