CHAP, vi.] THEIR SONG. 219 



indulged with a separate maintenance. Notwithstanding 

 their native tropical habitat, they seem perfectly hardy 

 here. Lord Derby informs me, " I have on former oc- 

 casions turned out a few of the Pigeon tribe, which I 

 did not find it convenient to keep in what is called the 

 Old Pheasantry, but I am somewhat discouraged in this 

 proceeding ; as, though they have staid in the planta- 

 tions around where they were released, and have bred 

 and even reared their young in some instances, they 

 have gradually disappeared. What we turned out here 

 were the Passenger Pigeons of America, and the Long- 

 tailed Senegal Pigeons." 



The Senegals might very likely be naturalized in 

 England, if poaching naturalists would allow them. % In 

 the woods about Knowsley they have been heard, utter- 

 ing their curious song, which sounds very like the com- 

 mencement of a negro melody, and may even have 

 given a rythmical hint to the musical Blacks, 



ft 

 / 



w\ " 



and so on. Two crochets to one bar, and four quavers to 

 the next, in regular succession, all on one note. The 

 learned say that the Doves are nearly allied to the 

 Cuckoos. At any rate the song of many of them 

 admits of quite as precise a notation*. 



Our bird is not the Turtur Senegalemis, or Neck- 

 laced Turtle Dove, of Blyth, but probably the Columba 

 mnacea of Gmelin. There is great confusion in the 



* " The coo of T. risorius somewhat resembles the sound cuckoo, 

 pronounced slowly and with a pause between the syllables, the 

 second being much prolonged and at first rolled." Blyth. See M. 

 Sundevall, in An. Nat. Hist. 



