8 

 COLUMBJ?. 



COLTJMBID.E. 



COLUMBIDJE. 



COLUMBA (ENAS, Linnaeus *. 



THE STOCK DOVE. 



Columba anas. 



BY Montagu, Bewick, Fleming, and some of the earlier 

 authors, the Stock Dove was confounded with the Rock Dove, 

 from which, however, it is now well known to be perfectly 

 distinct. Whilst this confusion lasted, the name was sup- 

 posed to he owing to its being considered to be the origin of 

 our domestic stock ; but the appellation is now generally 

 attributed to its habit of nesting in the stocks of trees, par- 



* Columba cenas, Linngeus, Syst. Nat. Ed. 12 (1766), i. p. 279, in part, the 

 description being somewhat confused with that of the Domestic Pigeon, although 

 in the Fauna Suecica, p. 75 (1761), the author had accurately described the 

 present species. As the name has been long and almost universally applied to 

 this bird, there seems to be no adequate reason for rejecting it. (Enas from 

 olvos, vinum. 



