152 VARIETIES WARWICK CASTLE. 



differences in these birds, which seem rather attri- 

 butable to the nature of the region, soil, or climate, 

 to which they are indigenous, than to the art of 

 man. 



The STOCK-DOVE, or original of the pigeon genus, 

 in its natural or wild state, is thus described ; of a 

 deep blue and ash colour, the breast darkened with a 

 fine changeable green and purple ; the sides of the 

 neck of a reddish gold colour; its wings marked 

 with two black bars, one on the quill feathers, and 

 the other on the covert ; the back white, and the 

 tail barred near the end with black. The RING-DOVE 

 is yet held by naturalists to be distinct from the stock- 

 dove, and it would seem that the TURTLE-DOVE is 

 equally so from both. 



In this country the BLUE DOVE-HOUSE PIGEON is 

 the most common, and the only WILD SPECIES are the 

 ring-doves, or wood-pigeons, and the turtle-doves, 

 which are to be found in all parts of South Britain, 

 breeding during the spring and summer, and retiring 

 to the deepest recesses of the woods in the winter 

 season, whence, probably, the turtle has been sup- 

 posed to emigrate. I am assured by a Spanish gen- 

 tleman, that in Barbary they have pigeons equal in 

 size to fowls, but incapable of flight. 



On the domain of Warwick castle, there is, per- 

 haps, a greater number of turtle-doves, than in any 

 other part of Britain. They abound in multitudes 

 throughout the woods and plantations (1829), flying 

 in pairs, and lighting on the turrets of the castle. 

 Their loud and mournful cooing is heard on the 

 road at a considerable distance. Much pains have 



