300 COLUMBID.E. 



land Isles, where they breed in the rocks and deep subter- 

 ranean caverns, the mouths of which open to the sea, and 

 to which they constantly repair during the night. In the 

 day they fly about in large flocks, searching for food, 

 and, when not engaged in feeding, their favourite resort 

 appears to be such portions of the high precipices as are 

 covered with soft grass. It has also been observed of 

 Shetland, that those islands which produced the most corn 

 had the greatest number of Rock Doves. Their food con- 

 sists principally of grain and seeds : Colonel Montagu as- 

 certained that they eat considerable numbers of the Helix 

 mrgata; and Mr. Macgillivray says they pick up several 

 species of shell-snails, especially Helix ericitorum and 

 Eulimus acutus. The Pigeon's mode of drinking is by a 

 continued draught, and not by sipping, as practised by 

 most other birds. 



The Rock Dove produces two pairs of young in the sea- 

 son, each pair generally consisting of a male and female 

 bird : the eggs are white, of a short oval shape, rather 

 pointed at one end, measuring one inch five lines in length, 

 by one inch two lines and a half in breadth. 



The extreme southern localities of this species have been 

 already alluded to. North of Shetland it is found in Den- 

 mark, Sweden, Norway, and as far as the Faroe Islands. 

 Pennant, in his Arctic Zoology, says, that this bird goes as 

 far east as Lake Baikal, and M. Temminck mentions that 

 skins received from Japan do not differ in any respect from 

 those of Europe or of Africa. 



A reference to our Domestic Pigeons, and to some of the 

 varieties rendered permanent by restriction, will follow the 

 description of the Wild Rock Dove. 



The beak reddish orange, inclining to brown ; irides pale 

 orange ; head and neck bluish grey, the sides of the latter 

 shining with green and purple reflections ; shoulders, upper 



