DOVES. 459 



it associates with the Blue and Coal Tits, but is more com- 

 monly observed in flocks of twelve or fourteen, probably 

 constituting the family party. Its flight, though never con- 

 tinued for any length of time, is straight and rapid. 



Dr. LIVERPOOL reports that he has often endeavoured to 

 preserve this bird in confinement, but without success. A 

 pair of old birds which he once caught in a trap- cage, were 

 extremely shy and obstreperous, and would eat nothing but 

 insects ; and as sufficient of this kind of food could not be 

 procured for them, they soon died. He had no better success 

 with individuals taken from the nest. 



VII. DOVES.* 



THE beak in this species is thin and straight, with the exception 

 of a slight curvature at the point ; covered with a membrane, 

 and somewhat swollen at the base. The shanks are short, 

 and the toes divided to their origin. Doves subsist chiefly on 

 grain and seeds ; though some of the wild varieties eat bil- 

 berries also. They produce only two young ones in every 

 brood, which they feed with seeds softened in their own crop. 

 They were formerly classed either with passerine birds or 

 poultry ; but they have so many distinguishing characteristics, 

 as to make it advisable to range them in a separate order. All 

 the species which I shall mention are indigenous, and may be 

 tamed at any age. 



ADDITIONAL. According to the Quinary system, the Dovea 

 form the first family group of Order III. Hasores, or Scratchers. 

 CUVIEB places them among the Gallinaceous tribes, to which 

 they certainly belong ; TEMMINCK makes them compose his ninth 

 order, Columba; and MACGILLIVEAY his eleventh order, to which 

 he gives the distinctive title of G-emitrices, or Cooers. " These 

 being," he says, " the only single family of Columbines in this 

 order, the characters of the family and order are the same. The 

 variations in the form of the wings and tail, as well as other 

 circumstances, give rise to a number of generic distinctions. The 



* Taulen, BECH. Columba. 



