178 PIGEONS AND DOVES. 



patches at each side of the base of the neck are the 

 distinguishing mark of the Ring-Dove. 



STOCK-DOVE 13 inches ; no white on hind-neck or wings ; 

 two black spots on each wing ; a little white on the 

 outside tail-feathers. 



ROCK-DOVE 13 inches ; lower back white ; black double 

 cross-bar on wing. 



TURTLE-DOVE 11 inches; ruddy-brown above; pale wine- 

 colour on breast ; patch of mixed black and white at 

 sides of hind-neck ; belly white ; tail-feathers dark all, 

 except two central ones, tipped broadly white, and the 

 outside ones edged white. 



STOCK-DOVE. 13 inches. Head blue-gray; 

 hind-neck glossy-green ; upper parts drab-gray, but 

 blue-gray from lower back to tail inclusive, the 

 latter broadly banded black at the end, and with a 

 little white on the outside feathers ; two black spots 

 on each wing ; breast wine-colour, becoming clear 

 gray on lower parts ; bill yellow, red at base ; feet 

 red. Resident. 



Eggs. 2, rounded, glossy - white ; 1'5 X 1'1 inch 

 (plate 133). 



Nest. Of roots and twigs, in holes in trees and 

 pollard-tops, in thick ivy, on cliffs and in caverns, in 

 rabbit-burrows and beneath furze-bushes. 



Distribution. Most parts of England ; still work- 

 ing its way up through Scotland ; breeds, albeit 

 sparsely, in parts of Ireland. 



The Stock-Dove is less common than the Ring- 

 Dove. It nests principally in woods, using a hole 

 in a tree-trunk in which to deposit its eggs. At 



