196 DICTIONARY OF NAMES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 
RING-DOVE [No. 345, Wood-Pigeon]. So called from the 
white patch on each side of the neck. Also known as Wood- 
Pigeon, but this latter name is inappropriate, having 
frequently been applied to the STOCK-DOVE, and the 
attempt to revert to it in the ‘‘ Hand-List ” is therefore un- 
fortunate. Turner (1544) has “ Ringged Dove,” while 
Merrett writes it “Ring Dove” as does also Sibbald. 
Willughby calls it the “Ring Pigeon,” Pennant (1766) 
has “ Ring-dove,” and this name is used by nearly all 
subsequent authors. Dyer relates a North Yorkshire belief 
that once upon a time the Cushat or Ring-dove laid its eggs 
upon the ground, while the Peewit or Lapwing made its 
nest on high; but one day they agreed to exchange their 
localities for building. Hence the Peewit now expresses 
its disappointment as follows :— 
Peewit, Peewit ! 
I coup’d my nest and I rue it. 
The Cushat, however, rejoices that she is safe out of the 
reach of mischievous boys :— 
Coo, coo, come now, 
Little lad 
With thy gad, 
Come not thou. 
A Suffolk legend is that the Magpie once undertook to teach 
the Wood-pigeon how to make a more substantial nest, 
but the latter kept repeating her cry of “‘ Take two, Taffy ! 
take two!” until the Magpie, after insisting that one was 
enough at a time, finally gave up the attempt in a passion. 
Pigeons were regarded in former times in England as 
portents of death, and a sick man who had a desire to eat 
of one was supposed to foretell his own death (De Kay). 
Martial says of their flesh that :— 
Ringed doves make a man’s loins slow and dull, 
Who would be lusty should not eat this bird. 
Butit isnot improbable that he referred to the small Collared 
Turtle-dove and not our northern species. The Ring-Dove 
is not so gentle as popular fancy would have it. Montagu 
relates that he once bred up, to live together “in perfect 
amity, a common Pigeon, Ring-Dove, White Owl and 
Sparrow Hawk; of which the Ring-Dove was master.” 
RinGED Buiackpirp, Ring BLAcKBIRD, RINGED THRUSH, or 
Rina THrusH: The RING-OUZEL. From the white 
gorget. Macgillivray callsit the Ringed Thrush, and Fleming 
the Ring-Thrush. 
RinceD DorrereL or Rina Dorrrren: The RINGED 
PLOVER. The second form is in use on the Scottish 
Borders. 
