78 THE TURTLE-DOVE 



Thrushes, is a stout bird and rather elegant with its long tail and 

 wings. Its length is between 10 and n inches and its weight about 

 4 oz. The upper parts of the body as far as the shoulders are ashen 

 grey dotted with dark spots on the head, back and wings red-brown 

 and tail blackish-brown, chin and throat amber with numerous 

 black streaks, breast reddish-brown spotted with black, abdomen 

 and under-parts white, spotted in the flanks with shades of brown. 

 It arrives in this country in November or December, and is generally 

 seen in large flocks. It departs about May or June, though occa- 

 sionally some remain to build in the wilder parts of the British 

 Islands. The nests are usually built in society after the manner of 

 rooks, but in fir or pine trees. It. lays several bluish-green eggs, 

 spotted with brown. It feeds upon worms, larvae, insects, seeds 

 and grain, also largely upon wild fruits, such as berries of haw- 

 thorn and holly, the latter being the measure of their depreda- 

 tions in gardens, and ornamental grounds, the hollies being soon 

 divested of their berries by the fieldfares during severe weather. 

 The bird's shyness on arrival soon wears off, and from its excellence 

 as an adjunct to the table is much sought after by some sportsmen. 



The REDWING (Turdus iliacus) included in the Turdinae or True 

 Thrushes, closely resembles the common thrush in its plumage, but 

 is distinguished by the bright red colour of the underwing coverts. 

 It visits Britain as a migratory bird in winter, migrating from more 

 northern regions about the same time as the fieldfares, and departing 

 with or even before them. Redwings congregate in flocks, often 

 associated with fieldfares as jackdaws with rooks, and search the 

 fields for worms and insects or larvae, which, with hawthorn, holly 

 and other berries, comprise their winter fare. 



The TURTLE-DOVE (Turtur auritus orcommunis), Fig. 122, a mem- 

 ber of the Columbidae or Pigeons, is about ii in. long, and possesses 

 four rows of black feathers, tipped with white along the sides of 

 the neck ; top of the head slaty brown, upper parts pale brown 

 mottled with darker hue, abdomen and under-tail coverts white. 

 The beak is brown and the legs and toes brownish-yellow. It 

 arrives in England about the beginning of May, usually in small 

 flocks, and shortly thereafter pairing. It is most commonly found 

 in the southern counties, frequenting plantations, and particularly 

 parks and pleasure grounds where there are fir-trees. In these 

 situations turtle-doves are singularly pleasing from their cooing, 

 and the graceful evolutions of the males render them great orna- 

 ments. The nest is a mere platform of twigs formed in the forked 

 branch of a tree, the female laying two white eggs. The food con- 

 sists chiefly of seeds, vegetation, such as young tops of swedes and 

 turnips, and grain. Turtle-doves leave England at the beginning 

 of September. 



The CORN-CRAKE or LANDRAIL (Crex pratensis], Fig. 50, a member 

 of the order Grallae or Waders, and of the family Rallidae, or Rails, 



