BARBS WARWICK CASTLE WOOD-PIGEONS. 137 



tail barred near the end with black. The RING- 

 DOVE is yet held by naturalists to be distinct from 

 the stock-dove, and it would seem that the TURTLE- 

 DOVE is equally so from both. 



In this country, the BLUE DOVE-HOUSE PIGEON is 

 the most common, and the only WILD SPECIES are 

 the ring-doves, or wood-pigeons, and the turtle- 

 doves, which are to be found in all parts of South 

 Britain, breeding during the spring and summer, 

 and retiring to the deepest recesses of the woods, 

 in the winter season, whence, probably, the turtle 

 has been supposed to emigrate. I am assured by a 

 Spanish gentleman that in Barbary, they have pi- 

 geons equal in size to fowls, but incapable of flight. 



On the domain of Warwick castle, there is, per- 

 haps, a greater number of turtle-doves, than in any 

 other part of Britain. They abound in multitudes, 

 throughout the. woods and plantations (1829) flying 

 in pairs, -and lighting on the turrets of the castle. 

 Their loud and mournful cooing is heard on the 

 road at a considerable distance. Much pains have 

 been taken, hitherto ineffectually, to reduce their 

 numbers. Among the splendid antique curiosities 

 of this mansion of high aristocracy, visitors do not 

 forget that living antique the house-keeper, who is 

 said to have advanced upon the date of one hundred 

 years. 



WOOD-PIGEONS. The autumnal markets in the 

 metropolis and in most large towns, generally exhi- 

 bit a considerable supply of these birds. They as- 

 semble in large flocks for the night in thick coverts, 

 perching on the middle branches and the tops of 



