302 BIRDS OP SOMERSETSHIRE. 



tertials nearest the body, there is a dark dusky spot, 

 almost black: Yarrell seems to think the spot on 

 the coverts is only occasional ; my two stuffed speci- 

 mens, however, as well as the live one, possess it, 

 and Meyer seems to think it constant, as he says a 

 row of black blotches takes the place of the two rows 

 or bands of black on the wings of the Kock Dove : 

 on the sides of the neck the feathers have a metallic 

 gloss reflecting green and purple : the quills are 

 dusky ; the rump and tail- coverts are a lighter shade 

 of the same colour as the back ; the tail-feathers are 

 dusky at the tip, all the rest is bluish grey, except 

 the base of the outer web of the outside feather on 

 each side, which is white ; the chin and throat are 

 the same as the back and head ; on the breast there 

 is a beautiful pinkish purple tinge ; the rest of the 

 under parts are nearly the same as the upper, but 

 rather lighter, especially on the belly ; the legs, toes 

 and claws are reddish brown. The male and female 

 scarcely differ in plumage, except that the female is 

 not quite so brightly coloured as the male. The 

 young before their first moult have no shining 

 metallic feathers on the neck, and the dark spots on 

 the wings are wanting.* 



The egg is white, like that of the Wood Pigeon, 

 but smaller. 



ROCK DOVE, Columba livia. This is the species 



* Yarrell, vol. ii., p. 297. 



