286 THE TURTLE DOVE. 



FOOD It feeds on all kinds of corn and leguminous seeds, myrtle 

 berries, with the seeds of pines and firs. When a ring dove is caught it 

 must be first fed on wheat, and other species of corn should by degrees be 

 mixed with it, but not oats. It will only live a few years in the house. 



BREEDING. This species builds in trees, and forms its nest of dried 

 branches, but so carelessly that a rather high wind will often blow it down. 

 The female has two broods in the year, and lays two large white eggs each 

 time. It succeeds very well to place these eggs under a domestic pigeon, 

 and if care is taken to prevent the young birds from migrating in autumn 

 they will afterwards remain in the pigeon house, going out and returning 

 like the other pigeons that inhabit it ; but I have never observed that 

 they pair with them ; I have sometimes seen the ring dove tread the 

 domestic pigeon, but as yet nothing has resulted from it ; future experiments 

 may perhaps decide this point. 



MODE OF TAKING. This is the same as with the stock dove. Ring 

 doves taken when old rarely eat, and die of hunger if they are not 

 crammed, like young pigeons. 



ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES. Besides being a fine bird, the male coos in a 

 very pleasing and sonorous manner, moving all the time around his mate, 

 now before, then behind, hopping close to her side, and turning his head in 

 every direction. It may be rendered very tame. 



THE TURTLE DOVE. 



Columba Turtur, LINNAEUS ; La Tourterelle, BUFFON ; Die Turteltaube, BECHSTEIN. 



THIS pretty species is ten or eleven inches in length. The 

 beak is slender, and pale blue ; the iris is reddish yellow ; the 

 naked circle round the eyes is blush red ; the legs and feet are 

 reddish purple ; the forehead is whitish ; the top of the head 

 and upper part of the neck are pale blue ; from this to the tail 

 the blue is more dingy ; on each side of the neck is a black spot 

 striped with three or four crescent-shaped white lines, which 

 has a pretty effect. 



HABITATION. In their wild state these birds are found throughout the 

 temperate parts of Europe and Asia, and also in many of the South Sea 

 Islands. They always prefer woods, but never go far into those on great 

 chains of mountains; they also frequent detached thickets, and even 

 orchards when near forests. Being more delicate than the two preceding 

 species, they do not arrive in our woods till the end of April or beginning 

 of May, and quit us in September. They are often seen in great numbers 

 in the forests of Thuringia when the pine seed has ripened well. In 1788 



