BRITISH WILD PIGEONS 247 



On account of its frequenting similar nesting- 

 places, the stock-dove was at one time confounded 

 with the rock-dove, which, except in this particular, 

 it hardly resembles. Although the former often 

 associates and feeds with the ring-dove, it can easily 

 be told from that bird by the absence of white about 

 the neck. As a species the stock-dove is rapidly 

 extending its range in a northerly and westerly 

 direction. This has been particularly observed of 

 late in Western Europe, whilst in our own country 

 it is most marked. 



Like most pigeons the stock-dove rapidly adapts 

 itself to circumstances, breeding in and haunting 

 very dissimilar spots in different localities. In the 

 south it betakes itself to the " stocks " of pollarded 

 trees ; and it is probably this circumstance to which 

 it owes its name. In the north the building of this 

 species in stocks or hollow trees hardly holds good. 

 It is fond of resorting to rabbit burrows ; and some- 

 times sheld-ducks, stock-doves and rabbits may be 

 found forming one community and breeding in the 

 closest proximity. In autumn stock-doves not only 

 fly in flocks, like their congeners, but associate with 

 large bodies of ring-doves, scouring the country in 

 search of food. In the air it is difficult to distinguish 

 between the two species, but, if closely observed, 

 the stock-dove is seen to be the smaller bird, and to 

 fly with greater lightness and speed than the ring- 



