LETTER XCIV. 

 To Thomas Pennant, Esq. 



Every incident that occasions a renewal of our 

 correspondence will ever be pleasing and agreeable 

 to me. 



As to the wild wood-pigeon, the cenas, or vinago, 

 of Ray, I am much of your mind ; and see no reason 

 for making it the origin of the common house-dove: 

 but suppose those that have advanced that opinion 

 may have been misled by another appellation, often 

 given to the cenas, which is that of stock-dove. 



Unless the stock-dove in the winter varies greatly 

 in manners from itself in summer, no species seems 

 more unlikely to be domesticated, and to make a 

 house-dove. We very rarely see the latter settle on 

 trees at all, nor does it ever haunt the woods ; but 

 the former, as long as it stays with us — from Novem- 

 ber perhaps to February — lives the same wild life 

 with the ring-dove, Palumbiis torquatus ; frequents 

 coppices and groves, supports itself chiefly by mast, 

 and delights to roost in the tallest beeches. Could it 

 be known in what manner stock-doves build, the 

 doubt would be settled with me at once, provided 

 they construct their nests on trees, like the ring-dove, 

 as I much suspect they do. 



You received, you say, last spring a stock-dove 



from Sussex, and are informed that they sometimes 

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