BRITISH BIRDS. 



ROCK DOVE. 

 (Columba Lii'ia, Briss. Colombe biset, Temm.) 



LENGTH fourteen inches. Bill pale brown; the 

 head, neck, and upper part of the back deep bluish 

 grey, reflected on the sides of the neck with glossy 

 green and gold; breast pale reddish purple; the 

 lower part of the back and the rump light grey or 

 ash, as are also the belly, thighs, and under tail 

 coverts ; the primary quill feathers are dusky, 

 edged with white, the others grey, marked with two 

 black spots on the exterior webs, forming two bars 

 across each wing; tail ash-grey, tipped with black; 

 lower half of the two outermost feathers white : legs 

 and feet red; claws black. 



This species is probably the origin of most 

 of those beautiful varieties which in a state of 

 domestication are dependent upon man. In this 



