642 COLUMBA 



unapproachable and desolate rocks, avoiding woods and never 

 perching on a tree, only visiting the alpine meadows and Tangut 

 villages in search of food. Nothing is known respecting its 

 nidification except that it nests amongst inaccessible crags in 

 Kashmir in August, and in Mongolia in May. 



887. STOCK-DOVE. 

 COLUMBA GUNAS. 



Colamla cenas. Linn. Faun. Suec. p. 75 (1761) ; Gmel. Syst. Nat. i, 

 p. 769 (1788) ; Naum. vi. p. 215, Taf. 151 ; Hewitson, i. p. 273, 

 pi. Ixvii. fig. 2 ; Gould, B. of E. iv. pi. 244 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. iv. 

 pi. 2 ; Dresser, vii. p. 23, pi. 458 ; Salvador!, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxi. 

 p. 261 ; Saunders, p. 481 ; Lilford, iv. p. 85, pi. 40. 



Colombo, French ; Paloma zura, Span. ; Golonibella, Ital. j 

 Hohltaube, German ; Kleine-Boschduif, Dutch ; Skovdue, Dan. 

 and Norweg. ; Skogsdufw, Swed. ; Sinikyylika, Finn. ; Klintuch, 

 Kuss. 



# ad. (England). Head, neck, and upper parts generally blue-grey with 

 a slate tinge, the rump, upper tail-coverts and wing-coverts paler and bluer ; 

 sides of and hind-neck glossed with metallic green ; a patch of blackish 

 grey on some of the inner secondaries and wing-coverts ; tail at base bluish 

 grey, then light grey, the terminal portion dark plumbeous ; under parta 

 blue-grey, the breast vinous red ; bill red at the base, becoming yellow 

 towards the tip, the soft portion at the base of the upper mandible greyish ; 

 iris red ; legs pinkish red. Culmen 0'85, wing 8*45, tail 4*7, tarsus 1*1 inch. 

 The female is somewhat smaller, and duller in colour. 



Hob. Europe generally, up to about 61 N. lat. ; North-west 

 Africa ; Asia Minor, and Asia east to Turkestan. 



In habits it differs from the Rock-Dove in that it affects 

 woods and groves inland. It feeds on grain and seeds of various 

 kinds, beech -nuts, acorns, and blueberries. Its note is a loud 

 guttural, rumbling note. Sometimes two broods are reared 

 in the year, the first eggs being deposited late in March or 

 early in April, and it nests in hollow trees, holes in the ground,, 

 old ivy, and even in old buildings. The eggs, 2 in number, 

 are pure white, and measure about 1*51 by T6. 



888. INDIAN STOCK-DOVE. 

 COLUMBA EVERSMANNI. 



Columbaeversmanni,lBp. Compt. Eend. xliii. p. 838 (1856) ; Dresser, vii. 

 p. 26, pi. 698 ; Salvadori, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxi. p. 264 ; Blanf. F, 

 Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 31 ; C. fusca, Severtz. Turk. Jevot. p. 68- 

 (1873 nee. Miill.) ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 732. 



