BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 77 



% 



Remarks. Migratory, arriving in April and May 

 and leaving in August and September. Notes : 

 durrdroo. Local and other names : Foolish Dot- 

 terel, Dotterel Plover. Gregarious. Sits fairly 

 closely, and is very tame. Two days' acquaintance 

 with the bird figured put me on such good terms 

 with him that I actually at last stroked his back 

 as he sat on the nest in view of two keepers. 



DOTTEREL, RINGED. See PLOVER, RINGED. 



DOVE, RING. 



( Cohtmba palumbus.) 

 Order COLUMB^E ; Family COLUMBID^: (PIGEONS). 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about 

 seventeen inches. Bill moderately long, curved 

 downwards slightly at the tip and pale red, yellow- 

 ish towards the end and whitish on the soft parts 

 surrounding the nostrils. Irides straw colour. Head 

 and upper part of neck bluish-ash colour. The 

 sides of the lower part of the neck are beautifully 

 glossed with green and purple, according to the 

 light upon them. On either side of the neck is a 

 patch of glossy white, which almost meets at the 

 back. Back and wing-coverts bluish-grey, with 

 exception of a few feathers of the latter, which are 

 white, and during flight form a conspicuous patch, 

 by which the bird may easily be distinguished 

 from any other member of the Pigeon family. Quills 

 dark grey edged with white ; the feathers of the 

 spurious wing are almost black. Tail-quills of 

 varying shades of grey, darkest towards the tip. 



