502 THE PIGEONS 



grey. The cere is red, the iris dark brown. The legs and toes are pinkish red. 

 The female is slightly smaller and duller. The juvenile (teleoptyle) plumage 

 resembles that of the adults, but lacks the metallic reflections on the neck, while 

 the black patches on the wings are barely traceable, [w. p. p.] 



2. Distribution. In the British Isles this species is somewhat local, but 

 not uncommon in England and Wales, while in Scotland it has greatly extended 

 its range of late years, and now not only breeds on the Moray and Dornoch Firths, 

 but is also found in Sutherland and W. Boss, and has even occurred in the Orkneys 

 and Shetlands (see Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1894, p. 3; 1896, p. 253; 1909, p. 115, 

 etc.). It breeds in the Isle of Man, and is now resident in small numbers in Ireland 

 and increasing its range, which, according to Mr. Ussher, has been extended through 

 eastern Ulster and Leinster to Lough Derg (1896), S. Wexford (1900), and Athlone 

 (1902). On the Continent it is found in Southern Scandinavia, in Russia up to 

 61 40' in Finland and 56 in the Urals, sporadically in Central Europe, south to 

 Portugal, North Italy, North- West Africa, Montenegro, Rumelia, and the Danube 

 valley, while apparently its range extends also into Transcaspia, but farther east 

 it is replaced by the Eastern form, which ranges to Krasnoyarsk. In the southern 

 part of its range it is a resident, but in Northern Europe it migrates southward 

 during the winter months, and visits the Mediterranean region, while the Eastern 

 race winters in India. [F. c. R. jr.] 



3. Migration. Chiefly resident within our area, but probably also a winter 

 visitor to a slight extent. " As a rule it leaves the northern portions of our islands 

 in October and returns in March " (Saunders, III. Man. B. B., 2nd ed., 1899, p. 482), 

 but over a great part of our area it is not known except as a resident and more or 

 less stationary species. On the east coast of Great Britain a slight autumn 

 immigration from the Continent is sometimes observable (cf. British Association 

 Migration Reports, v. p. 50 ; and Nelson, B. of Yorks., 1907, p. 492). Gregarious 

 on migration, and generally in winter, but seldom reported in flocks of very great 

 size. [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. The nesting-site is almost always in a hole of some 

 kind, very often in a pollarded tree or natural hollow, also in crevices of rocks, in 

 rabbit-burrows among sandhills, in ruins or thick ivy, in nesting-boxes, under thick 

 furze bushes, and occasionally in old squirrels' dreys or magpies' nests. It has 

 also been known to breed among heather on a steep hillside, and where suitable 

 holes were not available, on a ledge of a cliff, partly supported by brushwood. 

 In most cases little or no nesting material is used, but instances are on record 



