149 



THE TURTLE-DOVE. 



Turtur communis, Selbj. 



A SOLITARY bird o£ this species was noted in Dorsetshire on 

 the 31st of March, an unusually early date. A few stragglers 

 reached Surrey and Hampshire between the 18th and 23rd 

 of April and a few were noted in the south-eastern counties 

 on the 27th and 28th. 



A small migration reached the south-east coast between 

 the 30th of April and the 4th of May, but most of the birds 

 appear to have remained in the counties bordering those in 

 which they landed, only a few travelling as far north and 

 west as Cheshire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire. 

 Other small immigrations reached the coasts of Sussex, Kent 

 and Hampshire on the 11th, 14th, 15th and 17th, and it was 

 these which seem principally to have supplied the breeding 

 stock of the midland and western counties. Further 

 immigrations reached the south-eastern counties on the 

 18th and 25th and the coast of Dorset on the 22nd, and the 

 birds appear to have settled mainly in the eastern and 

 western counties respectively. Some of the earlier arrivals 

 were reported to be nesting in Berkshire on the 14th of 

 May. A nest ready for eggs was found in Hampshire on 

 the 28th, and nests containing eggs were seen in Radnor on 

 the following day. 



Chronological Summary of the Records. 



March 31st. Dorset. 



April 18th. Surrey. 



„ 23rd. Hants. 



24th. Herts. 



