THE BINO DOTE. 



feet from the ground. Its eggs oa.n but with difficulty be 

 distinguished from those of the wood pigeon, but they are 

 rather more pointed. It seldom produces more than one brood 

 in the year, or more than two young at a brood. Jt may not 

 be superfluous to add, that the tiirtle dove must be regarded 

 strictly as a cage bird. It does nqt seem to be susceptible of 

 that attachment to its home which distinguishes the common 

 or dovecote pigeon, and will almost certainly take advantage 

 of the door of its cage ot aviary being left open to escape, 

 no more to return. 



THE KINS DOVE. 



This, the largest of our native doves, is also known as the 

 Bing Pigeon, Cushat, Wood- 

 Queen, and Great Wood 

 Pigeon. It is widely dis- 

 seminated throughout Eu- 

 rope, either as a .permanent 

 resident, or as a periodical 

 visitant. Its general plu^ 

 mage is of a dark ashy-grey ; 

 on each side of the neck is a 

 half-moon-shaped white spot 

 that nearly encircles the 

 neck, from which circum- 

 stance they derive the name of Ring Dove ; across the middle 

 of the wing there is also a white mark, formed by the covert 

 feathers of that part, which are white, so that when the wing 

 is closed the lower edge appears white ; the breast has a violet 

 brown tinge ; the neck is glossed on the sides, but not so much 

 as is usual with the house pigeons ; the flight feathers are 

 a duU black, having a narrow white edge ; the tail is dark 

 slate-coloured, having a black bar at the extremity, with a 

 hght, ashy-grey band across the centre, on the under side 

 of the feathers ; the beUy is dull white ; the beak is a little 

 more than an inch long, of the same form, but rather gtouter 

 than a common pigeon's, of a dehcate flesh colour^ and 

 about the nostrils of a red colour, the coverings of which are 

 white; the irides of the eyes are an opaque white or pearl 

 colour ; the feet, or shanks, are short, of a duU red, the 

 feathers covering about half their length ; the toes rather 

 long and well adapted for perching; the nails dark hom- 

 ooloured ; from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail they 



BQIO DOVE. 



