THE COLLARED TURTLE. 287 



a prodigious number were seen ; they have never since been so numerous 

 there *. 



In the house we keep them within a grated partition near the stove, where 

 they can range freely. Young ones reared by a domestic pigeon are easily 

 accustomed to the dovecot, but as they are very sensible to cold it is neces- 

 sary to warm the place they are in during winter. These birds multiply 

 fast, either paired amongst themselves or with the collared turtle dove. 



FOOD The seeds of the pine seem to be their favourite food here, but 

 they do not confine themselves to it ; they eat peas, vetches, millet, hemp- 

 seed, rye, and wheat. In the house they may be fed on bread and any 

 grain at hand : they are easily preserved. 



BREEDING When wild, their nest, negligently formed of dried sticks, is 



tolerably secure when placed in a pine, but is often blown down when in a 

 beech. The female lays two white eggs. 



In the house the turtle dove is given a small straw basket, in which it 

 builds, for, whether reared from the nest, or taken when full grown, it pairs 

 without difficulty, and produces young ones. It will also pair with the 

 collared turtle. 



The cooing of the male is peculiar ; he utters a deep prolonged sound, 

 then bends his head and stops. The young birds are grey on the upper part 

 of the body, and spotted with bluish black on the wings. Those sprung 

 from a collared and a common turtle dove are more or less like either ; 

 generally they are reddish grey on the head, neck, and breast, the back and 

 wing-coverts, with red appearing through the grey ; the belly, the secondary 

 quill-feathers, and the end of the tail, are white, and the primaries greyish 

 brown. These birds are fruitful, and produce others ; what is curious is 

 that they are larger than the parent birds, and have a peculiar note. This 

 is certainly also the case with other mule birds, as I have often observed. 



MODE OF TAKING This is the same as with the two preceding species ; 

 snares placed where salt is strewed for deer are sufficient. 



ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES. The inhabitants of our forest villages are very 

 fond of having this turtle dove in their stove apartments, less on account of 

 its agreeable qualities than from the persuasion that it cures their colds and 

 rheumatisms. It is certainly true that this bird is generally ill during the 

 illness of its masters f. It will., however, live six or eight years in the 

 house. 



THE COLLARED TURTLE. 



Coluraba risoria, LtNN^tis ; La Tourterelle a collier, BUFFON ; Die Lachtaube, 

 BECHSTEIN. 



THIS bird is twelve inches in length ; the beak is reddish 

 white at the base, and dusky on the remaining part ; the iris 



* In England they are not uncommon in the woods. TRANSLATOR. 

 t The close and mephitic air of these rooms, which are kept warmer whilst a 

 person is ill, may well produce this apparent sympathy. TRANSLATOR. 



