402 BRITISH BIRDS. 



The Stock-Dove can scarcely be regarded as a forest bird, though it is 

 especially partial to well-timbered parks. It spends nearly all day in the 

 open country, but frequents the skirts of the forests in order to find a 

 breeding-place in the hollows of the old trees. It frequents the flat open 

 country of the lowlands, where the pollard willows provide it with a 

 suitable nesting-site, and makes its home both on the stupendous sea-girt 

 cliffs and the limestone crags or quarries of the moors. In some of its 

 habits the Stock-Dove very closely resembles the Ring-Dove, whilst in 

 other respects it shows nearer affinity to the Rock-Dove. The portion of 

 Sherwood Forest known as Birklands is a paradise for the Stock-Dove, 

 abounding as it does in hollow old oaks. It frequents this district 

 throughout the year, and may be repeatedly seen flying to and from the 

 woodlands to the neighbouring fields. Its flight is light, buoyant, and 

 swift, performed by an incessant and rapid beating of the wings, and it 

 will sometimes glide down into the cover with amazing speed. In the 

 woods it flies through the trees, threading its way amongst the matted 

 branches, twisting and darting from side to side with such speed as to 

 make it a very difficult bird to shoot. It may often be seen feeding on 

 newly sown fields, picking up scattered grains of corn which the harrow 

 has not covered, and mingling with the farmer's dove-cot Pigeons quite 

 socially. It is a shy and wary bird, and upon the least alarm hurries 

 impetuously off to the adjoining woods. It perches in trees with the 

 greatest ease, and may often be seen running along some broad branch, and, 

 if it be in the pairing-season, spreading out its tail like a fan. Upon the 

 ground it runs and walks with the peculiar bobbing gait of all Pigeons. 

 It often comes to water to drink, and occasionally bathes. 



In spring the gentle disposition of the Stock-Dove is to a great extent 

 changed ; and under the influence of sexual rivalry two males often engage 

 in combat for the possession of a female. This bird is a rather early 

 breeder, and from the great diversity of its nesting-habits is one of the 

 most interesting of its family. Its nesting-site varies considerably ac- 

 cording to the nature of the district. By the end of March the birds are 

 in pairs, and the eggs are laid during the last half of April. In places 

 where there are no hollow trees the Stock-Dove often rears its young in 

 the old nest of a Magpie or a Crow ; or in the dense ivy growing over 

 trees or buildings. Wherever the timber is full of holes and hollows, 

 either in decayed forest-trees or pollard willows rotted with the rain, 

 it lays its eggs in these, only making a most rudimentary nest, and in 

 some cases the decaying wood is their only bed. Numbers of Stock-Doves 

 breed together with Jackdaws in Sherwood Forest, and sometimes one tree 

 will contain several of their nests. In treeless districts the Stock-Dove 

 makes its nest in a crevice of the rocks or in a hole in the soft earth at 

 the summit of the cliffs ; whilst on sandy plains it nests regularly in the 



