106 THE BIRDS OF OUR RAMBLES. 



frequents woods at all. The rudimentary black 

 wing-bars, the absence of the neck patches, and the 

 slate-gray back and rump, are never-failing points 

 of distinction of the Stock Dove. Its note is not 

 so musical as the Ring Dove's, being harsh and 

 guttural. Unlike that bird, also, it often nests in 

 hollows and crevices of the decaying timber, and 

 even in holes in quarries and in rabbit-burrows. 

 Unlike the Ring Dove, the Stock Dove has a 

 decided social tendency during the breeding season, 

 and very often numbers of nests maybe found within 

 a very small area of the forest. The two eggs of 

 this bird are also remarkable for their creamy 

 tinge. Both these Doves rear brood after brood 

 from early spring until the autumn, when they 

 unite into enormous flocks to feed upon the stubbles 

 and pastures, returning to the woods at night to 

 roost. Many a pleasant hour may be spent at 

 eventide within the woods, watching the home- 

 coming Pigeons, those localities where fir-trees 

 abound being exceptionally favoured. The other 

 English British woodland Pigeon is the TURTLE DOVE 



type ; but , rr , . / \ i i r 



breeds (lurtitr duntus\ a bird of passage, wintering in 



sparingly \ c i -1-1 T 



in heiand. Africa, and coming hither to rear its young. It 

 favours the southern woods the most, and is by 

 far the shyest and most retiring of its order. It 

 is far more often heard than seen, and the woods 

 it frequents are filled with its rich, soft cooing notes 

 from morn to even, especially just after its arrival 

 in early May. Its small size, and the nearly 

 black patches on the sides of the neck, are sufficient 

 points of distinction. The Turtle Dove makes 

 a scant and slovenly nest, and its two eggs about 

 the size of a Blackbird's are pale yellowish white. 

 The food of this bird, like that of its allies, is 



