PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 



in which fresh and green leave! of laurel, horse-chesnut, etc., have been found in 

 t In- ncet. (PI. XXXVIH.) The eggs are two in number as a rule, but three have been 

 recorded several times (of. Zoologist, 1876, p. 4875; 1880, p. 143; 1888, p. 393; 

 British Birds, iv. p. 166, etc.). They are creamy-white in colour, more rounded in 

 shape in most cases than those of the ring-dove, and tolerably glossy. Average 

 size of 41 eggs, 1-63x1-13 in. [39*1 x 28*8 mm.]. Eggs may be found from the 

 beginning of March till the first half of October, to that probably two or three 

 broods are reared in the season, but as a rule the first clutches may be found in 

 April. The period of incubation is given by Naumann as 17 to 18 days, and he states 

 that both sexes take part in incubation, the male relieving his mate from 9 or 10 A.M. 

 to 3 or 4 P.M., and, like her, sitting very closely, [r. c. B. J.] 



5. Food. Chiefly grain, seeds of various weeds* acorm, beechmast, and 

 berries, [w. p. p.] 



6. Song 1 Period. The " cooing" notes are heard chiefly during the courting 

 and nesting period. " It sings later in the autumn than the wood-pigeon" (British 

 Birds, iv. 276. C. J. and H. O. Alexander). 



ROCK-DOVE [Columba livia Gmelin. Cliff culver, doo (Shetlands), wild 

 pigeon. French, colombe biset ; German, Fdsentaubc ; Italian, piccione 

 selvatica]. 



I. Description. The rock-dove may be distinguished at a glance by the 

 Urge patch of white on the rump, and the two black bars across the wings. The 

 sexes are alike. (PI. 90.) Length 13*60 in. [342*89 mm.]. The head and neck 

 are conspicuously darker than the rest of the plumage and of a dark bluish grey, 

 with a patch of metallic, iridescent green on the neck. The rest of the plumage 

 is of a light blue-grey, the remiges dark slate colour. Tail dark blue-grey, shading 

 into a black terminal bar, and having the outer webs of the outermost pair of 

 feathers white. The two black bars across the wings and the white rump are 

 conspicuous, and scarcely less so, during flight, are the white axillariee and under 

 wing-coverts. The juvenile plumage is duller and lacks the metallic- patch on the 

 neck. [w. P. P.] 



a. Distribution. In the British Isles this species is chiefly confined to 

 those parts of the coast where broken cliffs and sea-caves are found, and is conse- 

 quently absent from the east coast of England south of the Spurn, and on the 

 south is only of rare occurrence in the Devonian peninsula. It is found on the 



