Spotted Dove. 

 Turtur mratensis. 



XXII. THE DOVE. 



k< The love of the turtle." --Byron. 



MR. PHIL ROBINSON, in his delightfully humorous book 

 " Noah's Ark," arrives at the conclusion that the lion 

 takes rank as king of the beasts because he roars loudest ; 

 and similarly the Dove seems to have gained credit as the 

 truest and most typical lover among the birds, because 

 he makes the most fuss about his affections. At any rate 

 the fancy of our spotted Turtle-dove (Turtur suratensis) 

 seems to turn to thoughts of love the whole year round. 

 Any day you may see him bowing profoundly to the 

 object of his adoration and inflating his speckled neck as 

 he gives forth his rather harsh and unmelodious coo. 

 For, as a cooer, he does not compare at all favourably 



