150 OUR RARER BIRDS 



resemble in tint. Both birds assist in hatching the eggs and 

 in tending the young; and in many cases two broods are 

 reared in the season. The Turtle Dove feeds on insects, 

 fruit, tender shoots, seeds of all kinds, and grain. It drinks 

 frequently, and often flies for a considerable distance from its 

 usual haunts to do so and to feed. The Turtle Dove begins 

 to leave us early in September, and by the end of that month 

 most of the birds have gone. I saw much of this charming 

 little Dove in Northern Africa when on its way northwards 

 to Europe in spring. Great numbers were to be seen in all 

 the oases, frequenting the date palms and the citron trees, 

 and I noticed that they were far less shy here than in 

 English woods. I also saw them in the evergreen oak 

 forests on the slopes of the Aures, where many retire to rear 

 their young. It was a pretty sight to watch these beautiful 

 birds at eventide coming up from all parts of the oasis and 

 the surrounding desert to roost in the palms. Every palm 

 tree soon became full of Turtle Doves, and they might be 

 seen sitting side by side in pairs ; for I am of opinion this 

 species mates for life. In the cool of early morning they left 

 their retreats to visit the pools of water to drink. Hot and 

 deliciously beautiful as the South Algerian winter is, the 

 Turtle Dove retires to even warmer climes still farther to the 

 south. The exact locality of its winter home is yet unknown 

 to naturalists, but I am inclined to believe that it spends this 

 season in the remotest oases of the Central Sahara and along 

 the borders of the Southern Soudan. The Turtle Dove is 

 easily recognised by its small size and nearly black patches 

 on the sides of the neck. 



