12 COLUMBID.E. 



the rock-pigeons about the cliffs of Minard, to the east of Dingle, they had never 

 noticed, or met with a single bird mottled, or the wing without bars." But few 

 ornithologists will regard such birds as distinct in species from the Rock-dove. Mr. 

 Blyth, in an English edition of Cuvier's Animal Kingdom published in London, with 

 notes, in 1840, remarked on the preceding subject: — "There is a race which we 

 suspect to be a distinct species closely allied, the wings of which are spotted some- 

 what as in the stock-pigeon, but more extensively, in place of the black bars. Num- 

 bers of them, all shot, are sold in the London markets. We will term it C. macu- 

 laria." p. 231. 



At the end of April 1841, I observed these birds to be nume- 

 rous about the precipitous and caverned cliffs of the island of 

 Sphacteria, forming part of the western boundary of the noble 

 bay of Navarino. On the 29th and 30th of that month, some 

 officers of H.M.S. Beacon set out in a boat for the purpose of 

 entering the caves to shoot them, and returned each day with 

 several brace. They remarked, that of the great numbers seen, 

 all were on the western or sea side of the island, although as fine 

 caverns are on the eastern or bay side. When we were becalmed 

 in the iEgean Sea on the 10th of June, in H.M.S. Magpie, a 

 likely place for these birds presented itself in a rocky islet, N.E. 

 of Port Nausa, in the island of Paros, and a boat was lowered for 

 the commander and myself to go in pursuit of them. A few were 

 seen about its caves and cliffs, and a young bird of the year which 

 was shot on wing was in full plumage, but still retained some 

 fragments of down about the head.* On this occasion I could 

 not but think how very different were the scene and climate from 

 those at the Giant's Causeway, where I first became initiated in 

 rock-dove shooting. The bird was equally common in both 

 localities. Sir William Jardine's remark, that " we find the 

 rock-dove frequent and most numerous towards the north "t 

 of Great Britain, correct though it be, would seem therefore to 

 have no reference to latitude, but simply to localities better suited 

 to the species. 



* On the 17th of May, one year, the young were remarked (by Mr. Poole) to be 

 able to ily, ou the Wexford coast. 



t Brit. Birds, vol. iii. p. 07. 



