Family COLUMBID^. Genus Columba. 



RING DOVE. 



COLUMBA PALUMBUS— Z?««««f. 



Geographical Distribution.— ^n?w/% .• Resident through- 

 out the wooded districts of the British Islands ; most abundant in 

 well-cultivated localities. To the Outer Hebrides and to St. Kilda 

 it is only known as an occasional visitor. Range steadily increasing 

 with the planting of trees. Foreign . Western Palsearctic region. 

 From Scandinavia east to the Ural Mountains and Caucasus. 

 Resident except in extreme north, where it breeds as far north as 

 lat. 64° in the west and lat. 60° in the extreme east. Breeds 

 locally throughout the basin of the Mediterranean, but is here 

 best known as a migrant during winter. Azores and Faroes only 

 accidentally. 



Allied Forms. — Columba casiotis, an inhabitant of Persia, 

 Turkestan, and Afghanistan as far east as Gilgit, on the frontiers 

 of Cashmere. Differs from the Ring Dove in having the light 

 patches on the neck buff instead of white. 



Time during which the Ring Dove may be taken. — 

 August ist to March ist ; otherwise by authority of owner or 

 occupier of land.* 



Habits. — The Ring Dove is certainly the best known of its tribe 

 in our islands, and one that is almost everywhere on the increase. 

 It is a resident, and frequents the woodland districts, parks, shrub- 

 beries, and the open fields. It is more or less gregarious through- 

 out the year, and though one of the shyest of birds, soon becomes 

 trustful and tame in districts where it is not molested, as witness 



* It should here be remarked that in Lincolnshire, Huntingdonshire, the 

 liberty of Peterborough, and the Isle of Ely, the close season (Wild Birds 

 Protection Act) is from March isth to August 31st (both inclusive). 



B 3 



