228 COLUMBINE. COLUMBA. 



Male, 14, 27, 9}, j, 1 T |, 1^, T 5 ? . Female, 13, 26. 



The Rock Dove, which is the original of our domestic spe- 

 cies, occurs abundantly in the Hebrides, Shetland, and Ork- 

 ney Islands, and along the rocky shores of the northern parts 

 of Scotland, less plentifully here and there on the coasts of 

 other parts of Britain, as well as in Ireland. It resides in 

 caves and crevices of rocks ; feeds in the pastures and fields 

 on seeds of various kinds ; has a very rapid flight, walks grace- 

 fully and with celerity ; is gregarious in winter and spring, 

 and breeds several times each year. The male struts and 

 cooes like the domestic pigeon. The nest, rudely composed 

 of small twigs, grass, and other materials, is placed in a shel- 

 tered part of the rocks. The eggs, always two, elliptical, pure 

 white, glossy, measure an inch and seven-twelfths in length, 

 an inch and two-twelfths in breadth. Young birds taken from 

 the nest are easily reared, and become domestic ; tame pigeons 

 sometimes associate with the wild individuals, and even breed 

 with them ; and tame pigeons, becoming wild, and resorting 

 to the rocks or to old buildings, gradually assume the appear- 

 ance of the wild rock doves. The flesh of this bird is supe- 

 rior in flavour to that of the "Wood Pigeon, but generally more 

 tough. 



Wild Pigeon or Dove. Rock Pigeon or Dove. 



Columba Livia, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. ii. 447. Columba 

 Livia, White-backed, or Rock Dove, MacGillivray, Brit. 

 Birds, i. 268. 



149. COLUMBA TURTUR. TURTLE DOVE. 



Male with the head light bluish-grey, the back greyish- 

 brown, the scapulars and small wing-coverts black with broad 

 light red margins, the breast pale greyish -purple, the neck 

 with two large black spots barred with white, the quills and 

 tail greyish-brown, the latter tipped with white. Female 

 similar, but with the tints duller. 



Male, 11A, 21, 7, A, B ? tt, iV- 



Somewhat more slender in its form, yet not much so, this 

 species has by some authors been referred to a genus apart from 

 the three pigeons above described. It arrives in England in 

 the end of spring, and disperses over many of the southern 

 and eastern counties. A few individuals have been seen in 

 Scotland. Its habits are similar to those of the Wood Pigeon. 

 The eggs, two in number, are white, glossy, ovate, somewhat 

 pointed, an inch and a quarter in length, ten-twelfths in 

 breadth. According to Montagu, the young have no black 



