60 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[March 1, 1894. 



THE STOCK DOVE. 



By Haery F. Witheebt. 



THE Stock Dove {Columba anas) is so called on 

 account of its habit of building in the stocks of 

 trees. Once, it was erroneously supposed that 

 our domestic pigeons sprung from this bird, and 

 hence some thought it had thus acquired the name 

 of Stock Dove. It frequents woods and coppices, and does 

 not seem to mind what sort of trees they are composed of. 

 The Stock Dove is often confused with the Rock Dove 

 (C liiin), a bird very much like it in colour and general 

 appearance, but widely differing from it in its habits. 



The Eock Dove is probably the species from which all 

 our domestic pigeons are derived. It is an inhabitant of 

 rocky places on the sea coast, and frequently builds in 

 companies in caves ; it is especially common in Scotland, 

 where the Stock Dove is rarely seen. Unless in very 

 exceptional circumstances, the Rock Dove and the domestic 

 pigeon do not roost or even settle in trees, and in this 

 both differ from all other members of the pigeon tribe. 



Again, the 

 Eock Dove 

 may always be 

 distinguished 

 from the Stock 

 Dove and 

 other wild 

 pigeons by a 

 patch of white 

 feathers on the 

 back, just 

 above the tail : 

 a distinguish- 

 i n g mark 

 which is ap- 

 parent in most 

 varieties of 

 the domestic 

 pigeon. 



The Stock 

 Dove is very 

 local in its 

 habits, being 

 plentiful in 

 some districts 

 and scarce in 

 others. In 

 England it is 

 not found far 

 north, but is 



common in certain localities of Norfolk 

 be said of its occurrence in most of 



Stock Doves : Male 



and the same may 

 the midland counties. 

 It is also common in some places in Hampshire and other 

 southern counties. In certain parts of the country it 

 remains all the year round, while in others it is migratory, 

 leaving its breeding haunts about the end of October. 



The nest, if a collection of sticks may be so termed, is 

 usually placed in a hole of an old or pollard tree. The 

 height of the hole from the ground varies considerably, a 

 hole not more than five or six feet up being sometimes 

 chosen, whilst at others it is often as many as sixty feet 

 from the ground. The same place is very often resorted 

 to year after year, and the nest is thus gradually increased 

 in size. 



I have seen one in a hollow tree, which consisted of a mass 

 of sticks some three feet deep ; and on the top of this a Stock 

 Dove was sitting ou two eggs, going in and out through a 

 hole on the east side of the tree. On the south side of the 



tree, and about a foot below the Stock Dove, was another 

 hole in the tree. Here, in a cavity formed by some of the 

 sticks having fallen away, a Tawny Owl (Stri.r aluco) was 

 sitting on her eggs. Taking a stand below where the Owl 

 was sitting, and looking up through a crevice, the Stock 

 Dove could be seen on her nest above. This strange 

 partnership was the more remarkable as the Stock Doves 

 feed their young in the day, while the Owls are abroad at 

 night. Both pairs went about their duties peaceably, and 

 did not seem inclined to molest each other. 



In the open country of Norfolk the Stock Dove lays its 

 eggs in deserted rabbit burrows, about a yard from the 

 entrance, often not making any nest, but laying on the 

 bare ground. It also occasionally builds under very thick 

 furze bushes. 



It rears two broods in the year, the first eggs being laid 

 at the end of March or beginning of April. The eggs are 

 usually two in number, but occasionally three are found. 

 They are pure white, very much like those of the 

 Wood-pigeon, but somewhat shorter. The birds sit very 

 closely during incubation, both taking their turn on the 



nest; the 

 young arc 

 hatched in 

 about seven- 

 teen days. 

 When about 

 four or live 

 weeks old, 

 they are con- 

 sidered a great 

 delicacy. If 

 reared from 

 the nest they 

 become very 

 tame in cap- 

 tivity. 



The food of 

 the Stock 

 Dove consists 

 of buds, young 

 green leaves, 

 seeds of plants 

 and trees such 

 as acorns and 

 beech-mast, 

 and grains of 

 various sorts. 

 They may 

 often be seen 

 feeding with 



Wood pigeons, and in the autumn and winter many join 

 the flocks of these birds and cause great devastation in 

 the cornfields. 



The flight of the Stock Dove is exceedingly rapid, and 

 when driven from its nest it comes out of the hole with 

 a rush, and beating its wings together once or twice with 

 a loud noise, it dashes swiftly away. 



The note of the Stock Dove is a simple "coo-oo-oo," the 

 last syllables being more prolonged than the first. 



The length of fully-grown male birds is about one foot 

 two inches, and their stretch of wing is about two feet 

 two inches. 



The head and crown are bluish-grey, the back of the 

 neck being of the same colour, whilst the sides of the neck 

 are of glossy iridescent green and claret colour. From this 

 claret colour on the neck it derives its Latin name anas, 

 from oho; — wine. The breast is a purple-red, shading oft' 

 downwards to bluish-grey. The back is bluish-brown above 



the left, Feninlo entering jiest. 



