138 



in England,, frequenting chiefly the midland and southern 

 counties, and preferring well-wooded districts, although oc- 

 casionally found in more open situations. In the counties 

 of Suffolk and Norfolk it frequently makes its nest in the 

 holes in the ground, generally selecting a rabbit's burrow for 

 the purpose. Its nest is of twigs, usually placed in the hole 

 of a decayed and time-worn tree, or in the cavity on the top 

 of a pollard, but never, like that of the Wood Pigeon or 

 Turtle Dove, on the fork or spreading branches of a tree. 

 The eggs are white, and two in number. They are less in 

 size than those of the Wood Pigeon. 



THE EOCK DOVE. Columba livia. Eocks and caves are 

 the natural resorts and breeding-places of this species, and 

 it rarely ventures very far from the shore. In the winter 

 the Eock Pigeons assemble in flocks, and feed on the various 

 grains or seeds which their vicinity may supply, and certain 

 of our land mollusca are at times devoured. In a wild 

 state they seldom or never perch on trees. As the last spe- 

 cies frequents the southern parts of our island, so the pre- 

 sent species is most numerous towards the north. Not only 

 on the southern shores of Scotland, but on all the rocky 

 shores of its northern coast, and in the islands of Orkney 

 and Shetland, Eock Pigeons are common birds, breeding 



