336 Birds. 



everywhere for his mate, came and mournfully perched 

 upon the wonted trough, waiting patiently for her to 

 repair thither in order to get food ; but, after two days 

 of unavailing expectation, he, by spontaneous abstinence, 

 pined and died on the place. Such examples are not 

 common ; and we believe that, when not domesti- 

 cated, the appearance of another female, in the time of 

 coupling, sets at defiance all natural propensity to con- 

 stancy, and puts an end to the much-famed disconsolate 

 widowhood. Their general colour is a bluish grey ; the 

 breast and neck of a whitish purple, with a ringlet of 

 beautiful white feathers with black edges about the sides 

 of the neck. Nothing can express the sensation which 

 is excited in a feeling mind when the tender and sweetly 

 plaintive notes of the Turtle Dove breathe from the 

 grove on a beautiful spring evening : 



" Deep in the wood, thy voice I list, and love 

 Thy soft complaining song, thy tender cooing ; 

 Oh, what a winning way thou hast of wooing, 

 Gentlest of all thy race sweet Turtle Dove ! 

 Thine is a note which doth not pass away 

 Like the light music of a summer's day ; 

 Hushing the voice of mirth, and staying folly, 

 And waking in the breast a gentle melancholy." 



INGLIS. 



