The Zoologist — October, 1867. 9-27 



were obtaining none but fresh eggs in the first week in June ! To be 

 sure it might in each case be the second "clutch," but on the other 

 hand, not a single young bird was noticed by us among the many 

 started from out of the holes and thick bent grass as we proceeded. 

 The egg of the stock dove is smaller than that of the average of the 

 common ring dove or wood pigeon, and by no means of so pure a 

 white, being of a pale cream colour. 



By this lime our proceedings had very naturally attracted the pro- 

 found attention of the warrener, who had been taking sight of us 

 through his glass, and now approached in a somewhat querulous mood : 

 he was, however, soon mollified, and finding we were quite scientifically 

 bent, and not mere marauders, supplied us with all the information in 

 his power about the habits of the stock doves and shieldrakes. The 

 latter species (Anas tadorna) was likewise breeding around us, but 

 any casual visitor would have a fine exercise of patient endurance ere 

 he could unassistedly find a single nest, it being invariably placed 

 considerably within the aperture, — in fact, from six to eight or even 

 nine feet from the orifice, — and the birds never passing in or out during 

 the day. The warrener kindly presented us with a i'ew eggs, of which 

 he had relieved a plundering boy on the previous evening, and which 

 proved to be fine examples, or about the size of a double-yelked duck's 

 or turkey's egg, and quite fresh. Being very desirous, however, of 

 seeing or rather finding a nest, as a matter of favour the warrener 

 allowed his sons to show us one, and its original owners having been 

 shot by the young heir of the estate on the previous day, we had no 

 compunctions as to securing the eggs, if to be found. Borrowing a 

 " digger," or long-handled tool with a narrow blade, from the warrener, 

 the writer set vigorously to work, having taken the primary direction 

 of the burrow with his walking-stick, delving into the subterraneous 

 chamber; but it was only afler a third hole had been sunk into one 

 of the already numerous ramifications of the burrow, that, after no 

 inconsiderable groping in the loosened sand, the eggs were at length 

 felt, eleven in number, rather hard-silten, and quite cold. As usual at 

 this stage of incubation some down from the breast of the hen bird was 

 found partially enveloping them, but as no roots of grass were felt, the 

 eggs had apparently been laid in the bare sand. The complement we 

 were told, has been found to amount to fourteen, although eleven or 

 twelve proved the most frequent number of eggs of this bird, which is 

 said by Bewick to lay twelve to sixteen eggs on Holy Island, these 

 requiring some thirty days' incubation. 



