The Stockdove. 331 



bottom of the nest, are larger than those of the domestic 

 Pigeon. 



Mr. Montague bred up a curious assemblage of birds, 

 which lived together in perfect amity ; it consisted of a 

 common pigeon, a ringdove, a white owl, and a sparrow- 

 hawk ; the ringdove was master of the whole. 



THE STOCKDOVE. (Columba anas.) 



" The Stockdove, recluse, with her mate, 

 Conceals her fond bliss in the grove, 

 And murmuring seems to repeat, 

 That May is the mother of love." CUNNINGHAM. 



THIS bird is called the Stockdove, because it builds in 

 the stocks of trees which have been headed down, and 

 are become thick and bristly ; and not, as some have 

 supposed, because it is the stock, or original, from which 

 all the tame pigeons have sprung. Sometimes these 

 birds lay their eggs in deserted rabbit-warrens, on the 

 sod, without making any nest. 



The colour of the Stockdove is generally of a deep 

 slate or lead tint, with rings of black about the feathers. 

 While the beech woods were suffered to cover large 

 tracts of ground, these birds used to haunt them in 

 myriads, frequently extending above a mile in length, 



