THE STOCK DOVE. 23 



The Stock Dove commences nesting about the beginning 

 of April, sometimes earlier if the spring is forward, but the 

 nest is a very careless construction indeed. In some cases 

 it scarcely deserves the name, being nothing more than a 

 few sticks loosely piled together. Holes in trees, old 

 rabbit warrens, and hollowed places beneath bushes are 

 favourite places, and the same nesting place is often made 

 use of for two or more years in succession, possibly by the 

 same birds. The eggs number two, and are white, smaller 

 than those of the Wood Pigeon, and of an oval shape. 

 During incubation the male bird frequently returns to 

 his mate during the day, and seems to evince the most 

 solicitous interest in the whole proceedings. The female 

 sits very closely, and quits her eggs with great reluctance, 

 in some instances even permitting a person to touch her 

 while in the nest. The brood is hatched in about seven- 

 teen or eighteen days, and the young pigeons are generally 

 able to fly in a month. 



The note is a simple " COO-GO-GO/' the last syllables 

 being more prolonged than the first, and the "cooing" is 

 heard both in the morning and evening. 



The length of the Stock Dove is about fourteen inches ; 

 the bill pale orange-brown, with greyish edges; the cere 

 red, excepting the hinder portion, which is white; iris 

 reddish; head and crown bluish-grey; sides of the neck 

 glossy, iridescent-green, and purplish-red ; back of neck and 

 chin bluish-grey. The plumage of the upper part of the 

 back is a bluish-brown, then bluish-grey, and grey on the 

 lower part. The wings are dark bluish-grey, with markings 

 of black ; under wing-coverts grey. The tail is rounded 

 somewhat, and is bluish-grey for two-thirds of its length, 

 then marked with a narrow band of lighter colour, and the 



