STOCK DOVE. 255 



The Stock Dove is, however, perfectly distinct from the 

 Roclv Dove, as its localities, its habits, voice, and plumage, 

 will sufficiently demonstrate. It Avas called anas* on account 

 of the vinous claret colour of the plumage of the neck ; and 

 Stock Dove, not becavise it was by some considered to be the 

 origin of our domestic stock, but because it builds in the 

 stocks of trees, particularly such as have been headed down, 

 and have become in consequence rugged and bushy at the 

 top. In the open countries of Suffolk and Norfolk, this spe- 

 cies frequently makes its nest in holes in the ground, gene- 

 rally selecting a rabbit's burrow for the purpose ; and Messrs. 

 Sheppard and Whitear, in their Catalogue of the Birds of 

 those counties, printed in the fifteenth volume of the Trans- 

 actions of the Linnean Society, mention, " that Avhen the 

 warreners find the young in a burrow, they fix sticks at the 

 mouth of the hole in such a manner as to prevent the escape 

 of the young, but to allow the old birds to feed them ; and 

 when they are in good condition they are taken for the table. 

 Mr. Leathes says, " it breeds in old trees near the decoy at 

 Herringfleet."''' Mr. Salmon, in his notice of Norfolk birds, 

 says, " the Stock Dove occupies the deserted rabbit burrows 

 upon warrens, it places its pair of eggs about a yard from the 

 e-ntrance, generally upon the bare sand, sometimes using a 

 small quantity of dried roots, &c. barely sufficient to keep 

 the eggs from the ground ; besides such situations on the 

 heaths, it nestles under thick furze bushes, which are imper- 

 vious to rain in consequence of the sheep and rabbits eating 

 off the young and tender shoots as they grow, the birds al- 

 ways preferring those bushes that have a small opening made 

 by the rabbits near the ground ; a few pairs occasionally breed 

 in the holes of decayed trees ; but this is of rare occurrence in 

 this district. It generally commences breeding by the end 

 of March, or the beginning of April ; the young ones, which 

 are very much esteemed, being ready for the table by the 



* ^nas from oinos, mnuin, vinago, a name given to this bird by Ray. 



