OF SELBORNE. 189 



and see no reason for making it the origin 

 of the common house-doue : but suppose 

 those that have advanced that opinion may 

 have been misled by another appellation, 

 often given to the oenas, 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 an 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 November perhaps to Febru- 

 ary, lives the same wild life with the ring- 

 dove, palumbus torquatus; frequents coppi- 

 ces and groves, supports itself chiefly by 

 mast, and delights to roost in the tallest 

 beeches. Could it be known in what man- 

 ner stock-doves build, the doubt would be 

 settled with me at once, provided they con- 

 struct 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 



