414 BRITISH BIRDS. 



and many of the birds sat close together in pairs as if they had already 

 mated." 



In the early autumn, just previous to its departure, the Turtle-Dove 

 often congregates in large or small flocks, which haunt the stubbles 

 and " seed "-fields, where they subsist on the scattered grain and pro- 

 bably the tender shoots of clover. At this season they may often be 

 flushed in numbers from the turnips. The Turtle-Dove is often kept in 

 confinement, and has been induced to breed with its ally T. risoria when 

 in captivity. 



The Turtle-Dove may at once be distinguished from all the other British 

 Pigeons by its very much smaller size. Like the Ring-Dove it has a 

 conspicuous patch on each side of the neck ; but in that bird the brown 

 bases to the feathers are concealed, whilst in the Turtle-Dove they are 

 very conspicuous, nearly black, with pale lavender tips. The head and 

 hind neck are lavender, shading into chestnut-brown on the upper back, 

 into lavender suffused with chestnut-brown on the lower back and rump, 

 and into brown on the upper tail-coverts ; the scapulars, innermost 

 secondaries, and the adjoining wing-coverts are chestnut-buff with dark 

 centres ; the outermost wing-coverts are lavender, the secondaries are 

 brown suffused with lavender ; but the primaries and their coverts are 

 brown ; the two centre tail-feathers are brown, the others very dark slate- 

 grey, broadly tipped with pure white, the outside pair being also white on 

 the outer web. The breast is pinkish lavender, paler on the chin, and 

 shading into pure white on the belly and under tail-coverts, and into 

 lavender on the flanks and axillaries. Bill brown ; legs and feet crimson, 

 claws brown ; irides reddish brown. Adult females and males of the year 

 are somewhat duller in colour. In the young in first plumage most of 

 the feathers have brownish margins, and the black and white neck-patches 

 are entirely absent. 



The Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) forms the subject of an 

 article in Saunders's continuation of Newton's edition of YarrelFs ' British 

 Birds/ and the Committee of the British Ornithologists' Union, in their 

 List of British Birds, say that it is a rare straggler from the Nearctic 

 Region. Examples have been shot in Fifeshire in December, Berwickshire 

 and Yorkshire in October, near Royston in Cambridgeshire in July, and 

 Kerry in Ireland. Great numbers of Passenger Pigeons have at various 

 times been imported into this country ; and in the case of the example 

 shot in Berwickshire, it is known that a gentleman had turned out several 

 of these birds shortly before the specimen in question was shot. The 

 Passenger Pigeon is not known to have occurred in any part of Europe, 

 not even in Heligoland. There is no reason why this bird should not 

 cross the Atlantic if it felt so disposed ; but there is not the slightest 

 evidence that it has ever done so. The Passenger Pigeon breeds in 



