74 COLUMB.E. 



Hence, when there is a choice, the ring-dove always both 

 Builds and perches for the night in trees of which the branches 

 set off at large angles. The upright poplar, the mountain- 

 ash, and the willow, unless when the latter is pollarded, are 

 no favourites with it. During the breeding season, which, 

 as there are generally two, and often three broods in the 

 course of the year, lasts the greater part of the summer, the 

 ring-dove never perches high, or builds in tall forests where 

 the trees have long branchless boughs ; but in autumn and 

 the early part of winter, when the birds collect from the 

 places over which they were dispersed during the summer, 

 and have nothing to do but find their own food, which they 

 at that time find in abundance, and are high in flesh and 

 flavour, they perch for the night in lofty trees. 



A figure of the ring-dove's foot is given on page 61, along 

 with that of the little bustard, to show the difference between 

 a foot adapted only for walking on dry and hard ground, and 

 one adapted for walking on softer ground, and also for perch- 

 ing crosswise on a horizontal twig. 



The ring-dove is a bird of very fine wing. As the second 

 feather is the longest, it hovers neatly, and it sometimes dis- 

 plays curious gambols of ascent and descent. It dashes its 

 wings upward with so much force, that they strike against 

 each other with an audible noise ; and the bird drops down 

 so far, as if it were to fall to the ground ; but a downward 

 stroke, given with equal force, sends it up again. It displays 

 these motions most frequently in the pairing seasons ; but 

 they are also useful to it in its short excursions for food among 

 the trees ; and when these are scattered, it may be seen leap- 

 ing over them like a horse over hedges on a steeple-chase, 

 only it takes it leaps from the air as a fulcrum, as well as in 

 it. But volumes might be written on the ring-dove, and still 

 there would remain abundant matrials for a fresh volume. 

 The bird will not live in a domestic state, unless by force ; 



