COLUMBED^E. 301 



made to answer the purpose, or even the bare 

 ground, under a furze or other bush; and one 

 instance is recorded of the Stock Dove breeding in 

 a church-tower.* 



Bewick has made a slight mistake about this 

 species, having confused it with the Kock Dove, or 

 Blue Bock Dove, the picture being undoubtedly that 

 of the Bock Dove, and the name that of the Wild 

 Pigeon or Stock Dove : the two species are, however, 

 perfectly distinct both in plumage and habits, the 

 present species more resembling the Wood Pigeon 

 in habits, roosting and perching in trees, which the 

 Bock Dove scarcely ever does.t In appearance it is 

 easily distinguished from either of the others : from 

 the Wood Pigeon it differs in having no white on 

 the neck or the wing; it is also considerably 

 smaller : from the Bock Dove, or real Blue Bock 

 for the name " Blue Bock" is in some places applied 

 to this bird it differs in wanting the two con- 

 spicuous black bands across the wing and the white 

 on the lower part of the back. 



The beak of the Stock Dove is reddish orange ; 

 the irides scarlet ; the head, neck, back, scapulars, 

 wing-coverts and tertials are bluish grey ; on some 

 of the greater wing- coverts, and on some of the 



* 'Zoologist' for 1867 (Second Series, p. 758). 

 f For one doubtful instance see ' Zoologist ' for 1863, 

 pp. 8825-6. 



