268 COLUMBID.E. 



The Turtle Dove is only a summer visiter here, and 

 like most of our summer visiters comes to this country from 

 Africa, and returns there again before winter, not remaining 

 even in the Italian states beyond the middle of autumn. 

 These birds arrive in England about the end of April, or the 

 beginning of May, and are rather more numerous in the 

 south-eastern, southern, and midland counties than in those 

 which are farther north. Their appearance is observed and 

 hailed with pleasure each returning spring, as denoting the 

 season of buds and flowers, and as emblems of serenity and 

 peace their mournfully plaintive notes give pleasure. Sports- 

 men speak of a flight of Pigeons, but they say also a dule of 

 Turtles, from doleo, the term in this instance, as in that be- 

 fore mentioned at page 250, having reference to the particu- 

 lar character of the voice of the bird. They frequent woods, 

 fir plantations, and high thick hedges dividing arable land. 

 They make a thin, almost transparent platform nest, eight or 

 ten feet above the ground in the forked branch of an oak, on 

 a fir tree, or near the top of a thick and tall bush. Upon 

 this nest the female deposits two eggs about the middle of 

 June, according to the observations of Mr. Jenyns. The 

 eggs are white, rather pointed at one end, one inch two 

 lines and a half long, by ten lines in width. The parent 

 birds sit by turns, the male occasionally also feeding his mate 

 during incubation, and both afterwards mutually labouring for 

 the support of the young. In this country they are con- 

 sidered as producing but one brood in the season, but in the 

 south of France these birds are known to have a second pair of 

 young. Their food is grain, particularly Avheat, and they are 

 constant visiters to the wheat field while the corn is growing, 

 and to pea-fields : they also feed on rape, and other small 

 seeds. In the autumn they fly in small parties of ten or twelve 

 birds, and leave this country about the end of August, and 

 sometimes as late as the end of September, particularly in 



