TIIK R1SO-DOVB. 



\ I.I 



and fastening it to the branch. The young birds are tli< 



ping, 



and are sure to ! at han<l \\ h--n wanted. F.w-u when adult the King- Dove is a favorite article 

 of f<Hxl, and is .shot l>y hundn-ds \\li.-n they flock together in tin- cold weather. They aim 

 exhibit a derided partiality for c,-i tain n-ost ing-place.s. and can be shot by waiting under the 

 trees to which they have taken a liking. 



The food of this Dove ronsi.sU) of grain and needs of various kinds, together with the 

 green blades of newly .sprung corn, and the leaves of turnips, clover, and other vegetables. 

 Quiet and harmless as it may look, the King- Dove is a wonderful gormandizer, and can con- 

 sume great quantities of food. The crop is capacious to suit the appetite, and can contain 

 i -Jugular amount of solid food, as indeed seems to be the case with most of the Pigeon tribe, 

 so that when the birds assemble together in the autumn, the nocks will do great damage to the 

 farmer. 



' 



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' '/ " ' 7Z5r^ 



Vir 1 



< t 



UNO DOVB od HTOCX DOVE.-C 



The Ring-Dove may be easily known by the peculiarity from which it derives its name, 

 the feathers upon tli. side of the neck being tipped with white so as to form portions of rings 

 set obliquely on the neck. The head, chin and part of the neck are blue-gray ; the remainder 

 of tin- ni-ck and the. breast are purple-red, and the bare skin about the base of the beak is 

 nearly white. The upper parts of the body are also blue-gray, but of a more slaty hue than 

 the head and neck. The wings are also of the same dark hue. the primary quill-feathers 

 having black shafts and a narrow band of white extending along the edges of their mit.-r \\ !>*. 

 The wing-ooverts are mostly hlui'-irray, but some of the feathers are more or less white, so that 

 when the bird spreads its wings th.-y form a \--ry bold white patch, but wh-n the wings an 

 closed the white feathers of the coverta only form a line along the top of the wing. The tail 



