322 Columbidce. 



top of the well staircase. Each niche is about six inches square.' 

 I am told that another instance occurs at the tower adjoining 

 the ruined chapel of Charter House Hinton, near Bath, the 

 lower part of which was originally intended for the priest's 

 residence, and the birds dwelt above him. In this case also the 

 east, north, and west sides are fitted up with pigeon-holes, and a 

 small square opening in the south wall admitted the birds. 



123. TURTLE-DOVE (Columba turtur). 



This beautiful little species is the only migrant of the family 



with which we in this county are acquainted. It does not come 



to us till the beginning of May, and leaves us early in September ; 



but during that short period it abounds in those spots which 



please its tastes, though it is fastidious in its choice, and is by 



no means universally distributed. In my own plantations on 



the downs it is extremely abundant, and its annual appearance 



in the spring is to me a welcome reminder of approaching 



summer. It is very much smaller than its congeners, has a 



delicate appearance, and its note is peculiarly plaintive. Like 



all others of the Dove tribe, it flocks in autumn, though seldom 



in considerable numbers. I have, however, seen above a hundred 



feeding together in a stubble-field. There is a beautiful legend 



in Scandinavia respecting the Turtle-dove, not unlike that of the 



swallow, quoted in a former page from Lloyd's admirable work. 



* When our blessed Saviour was crucified, the Turtle-dove for a 



while hovered around the fatal tree and at length perched there. 



When looking mournfully down on the Sufferer it sighed deeply, 



and gave utterance to its plaintive kurrie, kurrie, kurrie that 



is, " Lord, Lord, Lord." Since that time it has never more been 



joyful, but has constantly winged its flight around the world 



repeating its sorrowful cry.'* Hence the sportsman's term a 



dule of Turtles, as he would say a covey of partridges, or a wisp 



of snipe, the word ' dule ' being derived from the Latin dolco, l to 



grieve.' Professor Skeat says that turtur is of imitative origin, 



* Lloyd's 'Scandinavian Adventures,' vol. ii., p. 3G1. 



