STOCK DOVE. 65 



dove. The young are frequently brought to the 

 London market, and are much esteemed. 



There appears to be authority for the occurrence 

 of the Stock Dove in Sweden * as a summer 

 visitant. The same also in Germany and France, 

 and the eastern part of Spain,f Madeira, J North 

 Africa, Erzeroom. || 



Specimens procured from Kent, in spring, had 

 the head, throat, and fore part of the neck, 

 dark blueish-grey, on the crown approaching- to 

 blackish-grey ; the sides and back of the neck of 

 a metallic lustre, changing from green to purple, 

 the former being the prevailing shade. Back, 

 blueish-grey. Wings on the shoulders, blueish- 

 grey. The wing-covers pale, and marked with 

 undecided dark nearly square spots, which form 

 sometimes a partial bar. The greater covers are 

 pale blueish-grey at the base, shading into deep 

 blackish-brown at the tips. The quills blackish- 

 brown, rump and upper tail-coverts blueish-grey. 

 Tail at the base of the same colour, black at the 

 tip, with an indistinct paler clouded bar about the 

 centre, the outer web of exterior feathers white. 

 The breast is reddish lavender purple, and the 

 remaining under parts are pale blueish-grey. Feet 

 and legs red. 



* Nilson. f Vieillot. Yarrell. Selby. U Dickson 

 and Ross, Proceed, of Zool. Soe, 



